Bound
by Arien Relly
Summary: After Ron, Harry and Hermione were caught and brought to the Malfoy Manor in their seventh year, Harry was recognised and all three were sent to Voldemort. Hermione was soon separated from the boys as a very different destiny was set for her by the Dark Lord... Warning: bad language, scenes of violence, sex and rape. Beta read by Pirocantha.
1. Chapter 1

Thank you for selecting this story and giving it a chance to make you like it!

 **Please read this before you continue though:**

Above all, this story strives to be realistic and logical and the warnings in its summary are not overrated. War is not nice to anyone, Death Eaters and Voldemort are not a merry bunch of dress-up players, life and people are complicated and the characters don't fall in love by looking deeply into each others' eyes, forgetting all about their history. Not in this story at least. There are some rather graphic scenes that people might get very uncomfortable with, especially in the first half of it. The 'M' rating is more than justified as only mature readers should proceed in reading.

 _Disclaimer: I'm just playing with the characters; they are all borrowed from someone much richer and better at writing than I am._

CHAPTER 1

This was the first moment of her life where she had absolutely no idea how to get out of it. No sudden idea, no miraculous way out, no phoenix to carry them out into a safe place.

They were totally screwed. The Stinging hex didn't work - and how could it? The minute Lucius Malfoy saw and recognized her and Ron, he had no problem identifying the third boy, especially when his scar was visible. How stupid of her to even think that it could save them! And now they were on their way to Voldemort. She dragged her legs with the last little of strength she had, Harry and Ron both bloodied and panting doing the same just ahead of her. Everyone else she could see wore a Death Eater mask. And now panic started to eat at her insides like a hungry beast. Just bloody perfect.

It didn't take long to arrive at the fortress, she could feel the light tingle of the wards passing them. Darkness hid the most of it from her sight but it was huge with no doubt. She was pushed with her hands bound till she was standing in a dark hall, meeting a new group of Death Eaters. She was surveyed, information were passed, orders were barked, everything started moving again. But now she was pushed in the opposite direction than Harry and Ron which caused a new wave of fierce panic to surge through her and she started struggling against her captors even before she realized it herself.

At one point she managed to scream which startled the man holding her long enough for her to free herself and start running towards where the boys disappeared from her. The next time she remembered she was writhing in white hot pain on the ground, thinking she must be dying as hundreds of knives pierced her skin and bones. It felt like years before she passed out.

When she woke up, cold and sore, to the sound of groaning she was not sure was not hers, she found herself chained on a dirty cot in a tomblike cell. She could not go and look around, but she was sure there were more cells lined around the hallway - she was able just to glimpse the one opposite hers, but she could also hear the odd rumble of chains and a feminine sounding groan from much further away. She was sore from being cursed and her head pounded.

Thousands of thoughts began swirling in her head. Will she be interrogated now? When will they come? What will they ask her? Should she say nothing or try to lie? What about Harry and Ron? Will they say the same story? Are they going to torture her again? And most importantly, how they are going to get out this time?  
She had a lot of time for thinking too - it took several hours before she heard someone nearing her cell and by that time she was positively unnerved as her inner musings brought nothing of use. It was a kind of a relief when the Death Eaters finally opened the creaky door. What she didn't expect, though, was them flicking their wand at her immediately in a bored way, acting as it was a daily routine - first silencing her and removing her cuffs, then lifting her to a standing position, petrifying and lastly - what took her breath out of her - removing her clothes. What?! Do they want to humiliate her before they begin? But why to take her voice away then?  
She was so shocked she barely heard their conversation.

"Not too bad, this one," the taller one said.

"Nay, I've seen worse... The old git is a lucky fucker, she arrived just in time - only this morning. Still fresh. Far better than he deserves..." the smaller one commented.

"Deserve? I would give him a stick up his ass, that's what would be just right... You wouldn't even know it's there by the look of him!"

They both laughed while her mind reeled. Is she going to be interrogated by someone else then? And why would that make the person happy? Is he famous for liking to torture the prisoners?

Her thoughts were interrupted again when the smaller wizard began casting charms again; this time without any visible effect, she felt just those strange tingling and probing waves of magic traveling around her body, similarly to a health check she experienced at Hogwarts. Since when are the Death Eaters concerned about her health? Was there a Dragon Pox epidemy that killed all the prisoners last month or what?  
Still snickering they harshly put her down on her mattress again, binding her in place. The smaller one wrote something on a piece of parchment that he pulled out of his robes. They did not return her clothes and she shivered, feeling very vulnerable and exposed. Maybe it was their point to humiliate her first so she would not fight them so much. But fight she will, she decided. Even if it's the last thing she will ever do, she will not betray her friends and the Order.

She took her time to consider every single detail of her cell - from the iron bars to the front to the hole in the stone floor that was obviously meant to serve as a toilet and she still didn't see any way out. She hoped a chance will present itself when she is transported to a interrogation room or showers or something like that. At least she hoped she would, preferably soon enough as her bladder started to bother her and she definitely did not want to use the hole. Or pee herself, Merlin!

The hole started looking much more attractive as her need grew. She tried her manacles again, not caring for her already bruised wrists. What felt like hours passed and she was past desperate by then, pressing her legs together and praying for anyone to release her. But nobody ever came and she finally gave up, pissing herself like a guilty two hears old. She fought the urge to start sobbing as she sat in the pool of her own urine, shivering in shame and cold.

She tried to sleep to make the time go faster but it was to no avail - she has problems sleeping on the best days and she was not chained, cold, humiliated, exposed, smelly and under a lot of stress. Her mind kept torturing her with endless possibilities and "what ifs".

Finally she heard footsteps approaching. It was a relief to have a proof she was not completely forgotten, even though she was sure she would be made to regret it soon. Oh, damn! Another door creaked elsewhere, they probably did not come for her. Or did they? There were more people moving along the hall and now it sounded as if every cell was being opened. Is it the shower time finally? Thank Merlin!

In a few minutes a masked man opened the door to her cell, flicked his wand at her carelessly and she rose from her wet mattress, her chains rattling as they fell to the ground. Another flick and something black was pulled over her head, blindfolding her effectively and raising a wave of fear - why to do something like that for showering? There would surely be just women so she is no danger to see something she had never seen before. They probably just didn't want her to see the way to get there, she told herself firmly.

She was levitated for few minutes before he roughly set her down on a cold floor. The she felt her hands pushed forward to reach the wall which made her bend nearly to the right angle and her feet were rooted to the cold stone underneath. Then she was immobilized completely so that she could not even flex in her position. Another spell and she was washed - at last! The next one came as a shock as she felt it shave her everywhere, even down there! What? They care how she looks THERE?!


	2. Chapter 2

Many thanks to those who read, favourited and followed the story! I will do my best to not disappoint you!

CHAPTER 2

She could think of only one reason why they would do that and immese dread surged through her. No, this can't be happening! They just want to scare her! To make her compliant and cooperate with them! And they were succeeding, she had to admit as she was scared out of her wits, shivering and feeling more self-conscious than she ever had. The following minutes were probably the longest in her life, the waiting unbareable. When will they finally take her back? She was clean enough now.

Suddenly, a door opened somewhere and the room was filled with noise of many people nearing. She heard cheerful voices, but the words were mostly muffled by whatever she had over her head. She had no idea what was going on. Were those people the interrogators? Will they take them away?

Someone was nearing to her, she could hear the person's light footsteps. Now the man or woman sees all of her, naked as she was... How awkward! She expected being spelled out of her bonds, but instead a warm hand lightly and somewhat hesitantly touched her back. She tensed. No, no, no! Noone is supposed to touch her without her permission! She didn't even know who it was! And why to touch her anywat?! Unless... NO! This is not true! They are not doing anything of that sorts to her!

Before she could truly panic, her attention was drawn from her terrifying thoughts to a silky snakelike voice. Though she had never heard him before, she was sure that it was Voldemort himself here in the room, addressing them and she strained to listen.

"My dear friends, welcome! At our last session I promised you a feast as a reward for you loyal service and here it is, prepared just for you. Behold!" Voldemort's speech was met by laughter, cheering and clapping of his Death Eaters.

"But don't mistake me - there lies a great responsibility in this gift from me to you. This world needs more new strong young wizards and witches that will continue our noble legacy as you won't be there forever and I found the new generation somewhat... lacking. They are weak and have no real devotion to our cause, only seeking gain for themselves. Upon my deep research I discovered that all those... worthless followers - who have otherwise mostly outstanding pedigree! - have one thing in common." There was a dramatic pause "They were born from LOVE!" he spat the word as if it disgusted him to no end.

"And our mission here is to rectify that. For each of you there is a young and fertile witch that will be able to give birth to a strong magical child who will continue in your footsteps. You were chosen as the most loyal and valuable members of our society and it is now your duty to conceive children - heirs! - who will bear both your exceptional skills and devotion to serve me well in the times to come. To ensure obedience and fidelity of these females, I deem it necessary for them to be bound to you magically, so make sure it will take place as required. The knives will be brought to you shortly. And now begin! And don't forget to enjoy yourself, my friends!"

Laughter and cheering again echoed through the room and sounds of clothes falling to the floor followed. Hermione fought to keep herself under control as she realised what will now happen to her. She will be raped by a dirty Death Eater in front of a herd of others and Voldemort on the top of it all! She has never even had sex before! It was not supposed to happen like this! It was to be with Ron, after he gathered the courage to ask her out, after they were dating for months, after kissing for whole days and after he brought her all the flowers that ever grew on the Quidditch pitch! Not here, not now, not like this and certainly not with a disgusting Death Eater who does not give a damn about her!

Her desperate emotions and helplessness made her start sobbing silently against her will. Everything from now on will happen against her will, she supposed. Then she heard the first scream of a girl, she was obviously in a lot of pain, begging someone to "please stop" over and over - she was answered by cheerful and breathy laughter and grunts. "Now see how you like my dick, bitch! Never felt anything so big, heh?" sounded from a few feet away.

Something warm started pouring over her back and legs and she smelled blood. No! What perverted freak would pour blood on her? She was overcome by an uncontrolable desire to flee and felt her magic fighting fiercely against the curses holding her in place, trying to pull her out of the bonding.

The man behind her whispered to her "Don't fight it, you are only making it worse for yourself!" What?! How can she not fight it? Is he suggesting she should enjoy it? What a pig! Then he grabbed her by the hips and she felt him sticking something warm and hard in between her legs. She tried desperately to pull them together, but she still could not move at all! And he was already touching her with that thing there, spreading her outer lips to reach her opening. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine it's not happening. Or that it is Ron! Or that the pig behind her is dying, any minute now, please!

He pushed himself into her with a mighty thrust of his hips that collided with her backside and she screamed silently in agony, her face contorted in blinding pain. All thought about meditating forgotten, the only thing that was real for her was the horrible pain as she was stretched and penetrated ruthlessly for the first time in her life. The man stilled for a while as if reveling in her suffering. After a few seconds he began moving, pushing himself even deeper into her, claiming her, mounting her like a horny dog. It hurt so much she thought he must have torn her from inside!

He held her with both hands by her hips and kept thrusting into her as she cried and screamed silently and listened to other women scream around her. She heard that he started to pant slightly, grabbing her even more forcefully. Finally, there was a deep throaty grunt from him and she felt something hot being spilled into her. Her stomach turned as she realised what it was and Hermione supposed she should be grateful she wasn't given anything to eat since her imprisonment, because she would surely choke with her own vomit in the cape around her head. Except she was not grateful! She would prefer dying over this!

And he was still inside of her, shaking in pleasure, enjoying himself. Get out of me, pig!

He withdrew from her at last, pulling that disgusting thing out, and something warm and sticky oozed out of her. Her stomach turned again and she dry-heaved once more. Something pointy and wooden touched her head. A wand? "Kill me, please!" was the last conscious thought before blackness swallowed everything.

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The next chapter can be expected to appear in a few days


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Perfection. That was the word that came to him when he saw her there, chained, blindfolded and obviously petrified into the position. A position that revealed her perfect ellegant legs, firm round ass, slim waist and all the creamy skin... So soft and flawless he wouldn't think possible outside magically enhanced pictures in a certain kind of magazines. Her head and face was hidden to him, but eveything else was screaming PERFECT at him; so much so that even when he tried, his eyes were drawn again and again to her butt and her sex, so soft but yet so firm and inviting...

He could feel his cock stirring in his pants and felt deeply ashamed of himself. The girl surely wasn't there voluntarily and she sure as hell didn't want to do anything of that sorts with him. Damn, she was probably scared out of her wits, crying as he contemplated her perfect behind like a horny salivating teenager. But even the conflicted thoughts did nothing to delay his incoming physical reaction, his cock hardening to an impressive erection in his confined space.

It took him a while to realize he had been just standing and staring there for a while which might seem suspicious to others - and being suspicious anywhere near his "brothers" was never a good idea, let alone the Dark Lord who was ever so observant. With a bit of luck he might have interpreted his shock as a nice surprise or just been looking elsewhere for a while... There certainly were many places looking more interesting to him than his own person now. Even the mostly inhuman Dark Lord would look at a new set of about twenty young and stark naked girls, all bent into this inviting position, right?

A quick glance around revealed the other masked men to be in various stages of groping and fondling their "assigned" females, exchanging leecherous comments and suggestions, occasionally addressing the girls with promises of their extremelly well developed members and skills. In his half-hearted attempt to blend in with the disgusting crew, he approached the girl, immediately sensing as her tension grew and muscles contracted when she heard him closer. There was absolutely nothing he could think about that would make this easier for her; he very much doubted he would be able to arouse her anyhow by touching her - not that he did not want to, he admitted to himself - and would scare her even more if it was possible. In the end he opted for a gentle stroke of her luxurious back, the skin so soft under his hand that he had to fight himself not to continue elsewhere. He could feel her shaking under his hand and doubted it was just due to the cold. Pity with this beautiful girl made him close his eyes, nearly screaming at the unfairness of this world where monsters like him roam and are allowed to rape innocent girls. He should die on the spot. And he was so eager for her, pervert!

Despite his disgust with himself, his senses were invaded by the scent of the girl - or young woman? She looked to be about 18. He always had a keen sense of smell which was one of the features that made him the youngest Potion Master of the century - he could smell a mistake in a potion standing 20 feet away from him and know exactly what it was caused by long before it exploded and killed the whole bunch of dunderheads they called his students. And this woman smelled like... Purity. Spring rain in the morning. So fresh and clean that he doubted it could be ever erased and changed. Even her very magic felt so light and pure that he doubted she had ever SEEN a dark spell being cast.

Lost in thoughts he nearly missed that the Dark Lord began addressing them, instructing them for the bonding ritual that was about to take place. God! And he thought the girl had it bad... Now she will be either raped on a daily basis and carrying his children for the rest of her life or ending this life rather quickly. Fuck! And fuck Dumbledore for doing this to him! No Greater Good has ever been worth condemning anyone to this...

His inner turmoil was halted by the order to begin. Again he was the last one to put down his pants, his more enthusiastic colleagues mostly already began claiming their females. He took a knife offered to him by a low ranked Death Eater who wasted no time to enviously oggle his soon to be victim. Casting him a nasty glance, the man fast scurried away. Trying to push the guilt, disgust and hatred that he felt towards himself away - there will be enough time for that after he will do what needs to be done for them both to survive today - he slit his arm open and let the blood pour freely over her back, whispering the needed incantation. He could see the girl panicked as she felt the liquid on herself and tried to break from the spell and manacles that were holding her in place. He knew that if she continued to do so, she would not be able to stand the next day for the pain in her muscles. "Don't fight it, you are only making it worse for yourself", he told her softly to warn her. He didn't know whether she heard him over the screams of the other girls that were released by their new masters from the silencing spells. Some of his brothers liked to hear what they were causing, some of them even removed the blindfold to have the pleasure to see the agony in their faces.

He however quickly decided to keep both in place - she did not need to see the horrors around her and he would finish much quicker without the vocal reminder that his attentions are most unwelcome to her. Telling himself that though he is far from handsome or desirable to anyone, let alone to a beautiful young girl, he will at least try to make it quick. And he is not a sadist. He could hear the screams that were coming from Dolohov's place and very much doubted that the woman will survive the next hour... And if he backed out now, he was rather sure just who will replace that poor girl.

Braving himself he stopped his bleeding and approached the girl from behind, put his left hand at her hip to better hold her so that she would not yank in her cuffs and hurt her wrists, took his painfully erect cock in his right hand and positioned himself at her soft and alluring entrance. Holding his breath, he pushed himself in. His thrust was surprisingly hindered by an obstacle. And that could only mean one thing... Shit! Damn him to seven hells!

His suspicion was confirmed when he pulled slightly out of her and saw himself covered with blood that was not entirely his. Shit on his shitty life! Closing his eyes, he forced himself to stop thinking and focus on the deliciously tight and warm feeling around his cock that she was giving him. Holding her to him with his both hands now, he gave her a minute to adjust to him before he slowly started moving again, pulling himself out and in even deeper than before. Combined with her smell, it was a bliss. He closed his eyes and focused fully on his body that was currently attached to a heavenly girl. It took only a few more thrusts into the delicious heat and he felt himself closing to his peak. Evoking a picture of her face - she was as beautiful as her body - screaming in ectasy, he pushed one last time and felt his cock shoot a huge load of semen deep into her as he spasmed in orgasm.

As soon as he gathered at least a part of his wits, he withdrew from her and was met with a truly gory sight - there was blood about everywhere from her back to her toes, both his and hers mixed together. She was shivering violently and by the sound of her breathing very close to hyperventilating. Though he was still panting too after his orgasm, Severus did not think he has ever returned from such ectasy to the cruel reality quicker in his life. Shit. He hated everyone and everything so much right now he wanted to scream - which he couldn't, as the Dark Lord started checking the victims. Surprisingly even despite the loud bragging of others he was the last to finish his deed and the Dark Lord was now stroding around each of the girls flicking his wand at her - not to check for injuries, that was hugely irrelevant, but to see whether the bonding was done properly and magic was set to place. There was a red glint in his eyes, he had enjoyed the show with no doubt. After he checked Snape's victim, Severus quickly decided to risk evoking his Master's suspicion and even wrath, came closer to the woman and while saying "Stupefy" aloud he voicelessly put her under a mild sleeping charm.

"I see all of you have done an acceptable job. You will be called soon again to ensure the rise of a strong new generation of my loyal followers. Now leave, all of you. And bring Bella to me, now is a good time to put her to... use.", he smilled omniously as they retreated from his sight without a glance at the girls they left behind.  
He knew he didn't have to worry about the girl being raped again by the monster - or another monster in fact - but he felt immediately much happier about his decision to put her to sleep after her ordeal for she would probably be about to witness the Dark Lord fucking his dear Bella. This was long suspected, but today it was the first time the Dark Lord openly admitted their relationship in public. He just hoped they would not celebrate it too much - the girl must have been traumatised for life as it was and she wouldn't be asleep for long for it could be dangerous for both of them. With that in mind he reached the apparation spot and disappeared.

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 _So, whose POV was this? Too easy, right? Hermione's chapter will follow in a few days.  
_

 _Please, let me know what you think of this - advice and constructive critique is highly appreciated as I am only a beginner... Thank you!  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Thank you very much for your reviews, they mean a lot to me!

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Hermione woke abruptly to the sounds of panting as someone was brutally kneading her breast, pinching her nipple painfully. The cloth around her head was removed and she was lying on a wet mattress in a cell. On her mattress in her cell! And most importantly, she could now see the Death Eater above her, groping and hurting her with one hand and tugging at his... Ugh! She tried to get up, but her attempt was halted by her chained hands that were bound over her head again. She screamed desperately, but the man just took his wand out of his pocket and silenced her once again. Then he returned to touching her and himself as if nothing happened.

She started kicking with her legs and writhing so he would not touch her sore breasts - one of her nipples started bleeding and she could already see the purple bruises forming everywhere from her breasts to her crotch. When she finally managed to push his hand away, he used it immediately to hit her hard over her face, stunning her for a few moments. She fought the dizziness that came from the impact and the pig - did he not have enough for one day! - reached in between her legs, spreading her already abused flesh. That gave her the strenght to start fighting again, but then he moved and sat on her stomach with his full weight, pinning her to the ground and making her gasp and struggle to breathe.

He pointed the swollen and horribly smelling thing in her face and increased the pace of the tugging, kneading and pinching ruthlessly her chest all the time. After a few moments he groaned, lifted himself up a bit and something hot hit her face, getting into her eyes and nose. She yanked at her bonds to try to wipe the slimy substance to be able to open her eyes. By the time she managed to blink the worst away, he was still sitting on her, stroking his ugly organ.

"Lick it, bitch!", he ordered her when he noticed her looking at him. His voice was muffled by his mask. She just stared at him.

"Lick it, I said!", he boomed and slapped her hard again, turning her head with the force of it. No, she won't! She closed her eyes and pretended to be knocked out.

"Useless whore!", he grunted as he got up from her, putting himself back into his pants. "Fuck you, cunt!", he yelled at her angrily and kicked her hard into her ribs.

Had she not been silenced, she doubted she could continue to pretend any further, as she felt hot fire spread around her ribcase, making it difficult and painfull to breathe, but her face was turned the other way and her scream could not be heard. Finally, a creak sounded from the entrance and she dared to look to discover that he had left.

She was lying there, dirty, chained, used, cold and in pain in so many ways! And this was just the first of her days as a Death Eater incubator or sex slave or whatever she was now. Noone cared about her friendship with Harry or connection to the Order! Noone ever even asked her name! Noone cared for her skills and knowledge! Everything they wanted was to use her body! A broodmare for this pig of a man, she was nothing more! Hermione started sobbing, not caring that it made her breathing even more labored and painful, her tears mixing with the disgusting slime on her face, and - after what seemed like days, not hours - cried herself to an uneasy sleep.

After what felt only like a few minutes, but may have been hours, she was roused again - someone was nearing her cell and she tensed. The man stopped by her door, raised his wand and without entering he made her chains disappear. "Pee time, girl! Go and quickly, it smells horrible in there!" Too damn late, Hermione thought, but she immediately sat up and hugged her knees to hide at least a bit of her body from view. She tried to massage her bloody and bruised wrists to alleviate some of the pain.

The man left to release the other girls by the sound of it and she made her way to the hole, staggering on her feet and nearly falling, clutching at her ribs. There was not much to do there as she was not given food or water, but she tried it anyway to save herself from awkward moments in the future. If it was possible to call that a future. She did not want to return to the mattress - she had had enough of it for a lifetime. Instead she curled into herself in the oposite corner, shivering and waiting. Maybe the man is supposed to care for them and will bring her some food? And something to drink! Her lips were creaked, she was thirsty and felt lightheaded after her short walk.

She put her hands in her lap and only then noticed truly the state of her body - there were bruises everywhere and her legs were covered with dried blood! There was a dried glue-like layer of something mixed with blood smeared on the insides of her thigs. The something was sperma of the pig, the same slime that covered her face, pulling at her skin as it dried too! As soon as she realised that she started scratching at it madly with her nails and fingers, trying to clean herself of it as much as she could. She scrubbed and scrubbed till her nails broke and her skin started to cover with fresh blood. Hermione raised her bloodied fingers to her face, observing them impassively like they belonged to someone else.

She studied the blood and suddenly remembered what Voldemort said the previous day - the Death Eater was asked to do some kind of bonding ritual with her. That was why there was so much blood on her - the little she read about various kinds of bondigs always included blood. And always were permanent and fatal when broken. And then it hit her like a fist to her stomach - even if she gets out of this smelly hellhole, she will never be free now. The startling knowledge combined with the sadness over her lost virginity, her lost parents and friends that she will never see again, her lost life that she will spent here. The tears stung as they made contact with the fresh gashes on her face and she slided sideways along the wall, lying on the cold hard floor and hugging herself fiercely even despite her painful ribs. She knew she should use the time to stretch, to go and try to look out through the bars of the door, but she just couldn't make herself do it over all the pain and sorrow. It was so useless anyway!

The next time she woke up she was still lying on the cold stone floor, hugging herself and shivering violently. Her throat was killing her, her head pounded and - what was the worst - she couldn't even swallow as her mouth and throat were totally parched. Her tongue seemed to be glued in her mouth and so dry that she couldn't even lick her creaked lips. She was not chained - did they forget about her? Maybe they just didn't bother; and with a good reason, because even thinking about moving her body anywhere seemed impossible right now.

However, her tremors worsened and the mattress looked much more attractive than it ever had - it was at least a bit warmer and softer, if she remembered correctly. She tried to stand but gave up quickly when her vision started to blacken and opted for crawling instead, all dignity put aside. Her ribs protested painfully, but the result was still worth it, she thought as she collapsed on the smelly mattress that luckily was just slightly wet now. She only closed her eyes for a moment to alleviate the dizziness - or she supposed it was only a moment, the time was playing tricks on her recently - when she was yanked upwards by someone's spell.

Before she woke up properly, a cloth was pulled over her head and she began floating somewhere. No! Not again! It's just a nightmare! This can't be happening! But the constant pain from her ribs, scratches and bruises told her otherwise. She was soon put down and chained in the very same position she had been in previously, bend with her hands up against a wall. She was shivering and desperate but no tears came - she was probably too dehydrated for that. The sounds of more people filling the room came again and she could only wait for The Pig - that's what she began calling him - to rape her once more. She only hoped it will be quick and then they will just let her die quietly in her cell.

And The Pig really came after a while. He stroke her back, but obviously was not satisfied with only that this time and she was pulled from her position, turned over and thrown against the wall, facing the room and the people that she could not see. Then he came closer and touched her between her bruised breasts, continuing down to her painful ribcase and belly. Admiring your work, Pig? She would have spat into his face if she could.

When he had enough of that, she was turned and bound again and soon she heard not only the screams of the girls and dirty comments of the men but also his pants hitting the floor. She closed her eyes and braced herself as his naked body touched hers and his hand rested on her shoulder. Then she felt that slimy warm thing touching her butt and his fingers spreading her lower lips to allow it an easy passage.

This time she was not filled so suddenly - he took his time inserting himself into her and every second of it was a hell. She was still so sore after the first rape and his mauling! Finally, he was fully sheated into her and started moving. He felt so much bigger inside of her than when she saw him! She was stretched to her limits and he still seemed to want to reach deeper. He held her by her shoulders now with both hands and she could hear the sickening slapping of flesh against flesh as his hips bumped her butt in a regular rhytm. Each impact sent a wave of pain though her ribs and her pounding head and her vision swam and narrowed. She did not have the strength to fight the dizziness and felt her consciousness slip from her - unfortunatelly only after she heard The Pig groan as he emptied himself inside of her again. She let the darkness take her, wishing she would never wake up again, and did not even notice him withdrawing from her at last.

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The chapters are getting longer and longer, I hope you don't mind...

Severus cannot wait to meet you in a few days :-)


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

These past two days were a nightmare. Ever since he left the gathering he was haunted by the image of the girl as he saw her last, all bloody, shivering and helpless chained against the cold wall. He kept remembering their encounter; her lost virginity, the way her skin felt against his hand and, most of all, her smell that seemed to cling to him even hours later. And each memory brought a huge wave of guilt and self-hatred with it, especially as he could feel that it was still arousing him, even though it was just a memory now. At least he could say that he had finally met the future mother of his children, right? Great.

He really has to find a way to get her out of there. And then out of the binding curse - that, though, seemed much easier to him in the current situation, as he did not really expect himself to outlive this year. Inevitably, one day he does too much - gets one more student from the torture room under a false excuse, warns a hidden agent against a danger from the Dark Lord, gets summoned on a bad day of said Master... But he needs to hide her some place safe first, so she would not be just passed to another after he is dead. And he has no idea how to do it yet.

As if it was not enough, the school seemed set to make him even more miserable - the Carrows decided to interrogate and subsequently torture half of the Ravenclaws, sending 4 of them to the infirmary. And McGonagall nearly truly hexed him when they were alone and she thought his back was turned... He would have to punish her harshly if she had indeed casted the spell. And his conscience really couldn't afford to do anything like that; he was not able to fall asleep for two days as it was. He dreaded the nightmares when they would finally come... And to add salt to the wounds, his Mark burned, summoning him to his Master. He caught himself hoping he would get to see her - no! He did not wish to rape her again, no matter his undeniable physical attraction to her. He just wanted to check on her to see if she was coping and doing alright - or at least as well as could be expected under the circumstances. With that in mind he reached the school gates and apparated.

As expected, a meeting was gatheredin the main hall. There were matters the Dark Lord wanted to address; new recruits and their background check, the uprising in France and Macnair's report from the Ministry. Severus patiently suffered through it, carefully remembering every detail that he could use, unnoticed. The oldest Weasley's wife was French - maybe he could smuggle a warning message to her somehow, allerting her of the danger, that she could pass to her family and the other rebels... His planning was halted by the Dark Lord who ended the session by flicking his wand and opening the door to the adjanced room. An evil smile appeared on his thin lips.

"And now, when the work is done, it is time for fun! Enjoy, but remember your duty!" The Death Eaters all stood up at once, cheering and nearly running into the room. Disgusting animals.

"Oh, Antonin! Walden!" the Dark Lord had to use the Sonorus charm to be heard over the noise "Yours were found dead yesterday. The new ones need to be bound first, so see to it!" He was answered only by two bouts of maniacal laughter and smiled wrily.

Snape followed them out after a few moments, bowing to his Master as he passed him.

"Dear Severus", the Dark Lord adressed him affectionately, "sometimes I think thak if it weren't for you, I would forget how good manners even look like... But now is not the time for control, go in and use my gift to your pleasure!"

"I will. Thank you, my Lord.", he bowed again to the monster of a man and finally entered the room.

It took him less than two seconds to spot her - he did not need anyone to lead him to her this time, as he would recongise her among hundreds, even with her head obscured. As he was nearing her, however, he saw that his worries were confirmed - she did not seem well. First he noticed that they did not bother to wash her; she was still covered with dried blood. Nice wrapping was obviously meant just for new "toys". Then he observed that she lost quite a lot of weight - she was slim before, but now he could easily count her ribs and her skin gained a pale tinge to it, making her look unhealty and losing the soft creamy glow it had the last time. Given that it had been only two days, she either wasn't fed at all or decided to refuse the food and both of these possibilities were troubling.

Still, the true shock came only seconds later when he saw her close. The state she was in! The insides of her thighs were covered by long bloody scratches that he suspected were nailmarks - and they were most likely self-inflicted. His suspicion was easily confirmed when he glanced at her bloody fingers and broken nails that were displayed above her head, pressed to the wall. He hoped she did that by accident while trying to clean herself - why did the moronic jailers not wash her?! - and did not go crazy from her horrible experiences... To make matters worse, she was covered by dark bruises. With a pang he realised the ones on her hips could have been caused by him; either her skin was extremely tender of he was holding her more firmly than he knew about in the heat of the act. The later was more probable by far... Idiot! But the bruises continued further to her belly, covering her sides, ribcase and chest. He was sure he never even touched her there - he WOULD remember that! He had to look at her properly to see what were they caused by...

He approached her and stroke her back to make her aware of his presence - she was hot to the touch, propably sporting a fever. Was that why she did not eat? Then he unchained and turned her over, pushing her to the wall with her mostly healthy back. With both of them standing he could see that she was quite a bit smaller than he was, her head reaching his shoulders. Severus felt an odd wave of protectiveness as he watched her pinned and helpless there... He came closer to her, stroking her soft skin gently to ascertain the damage and trying to make it look like he wanted to fondle her breasts.

And now that he saw them properly, attracting immediately his full attention, the breasts BEGGED for fondling - he had never ever glimpsed a more beautiful pair of them and they suited her body perfectly, both by size and shape. But he was obviously not the first who was tempted to play with them... Her gorgeous small nipples were all bloody and bruised, her tender skin covered from neck to her legs with handprints of a pair of big meaty hands - certainly not her own. And this was not the type of injury a person would cause oneself...

There was a huge black bruise on her ribs - something obviously hit her very hard there. Her quickened and shallow breath did not sound heathy and wheezed slightly; he hoped she did not puncture her lung by a broken bone. The nail marks lead also under her cape - maybe she had really gone mad to scratch at her own face and neck. Frowning, he concentrated on a scar - yes, a scar, not a wound - that lead from between her breasts to the center of her flat belly. She was a witch, why didn't she get rid of it? It looked to be about a year old and healed. Unless it was done by Dark Magic... He touched the lenght of the scar to ascertain whether his suspicion held thruth or not and indeed - he felt the telltale tingle that was a typical residue of every Dark spell. So she had been fighting against a dark wizard before, most likely a Death Eater! He really needed to get her out of this hellhole, or she will not last till the end of the week.

With this troubling thought he put her back to her inicial position and braved himself to do what was required of him, casting his conscience and worries behind his Occlumensy walls and focusing on the image of her round and firm breasts. He was a lucky fucker to be assigned this girl, as he thought no other woman would really be able to make him erect in those circumstances and he would have to embarass himself by taking a potion like a hundred years old... But as it was, the sight of her front was enough to make his cock stirr wildly in his pants, begging to be released which he promptly did - there was no time to waste. He tried to be gentle and entered her slowly, considering her bruised flesh. He held her by her shoulders this time to not cause her additional pain by touching the bruises on her hips - what was he thinking to do something like that?! - and pushed into her bit by bit, untill he was fully inside of her. He closed his eyes and supressed a groan that was threating to come out of him. She felf just as perfect around him as he remembered, all tight and hot and soft...

Soon he lost himself in the feeling, thrusting himself into her with a regular pace and letting himself being swalloved by the waves of pleasure it was sending around his body. He had no good reason to hold himself back or slow down to make it last longer, so he didn't. He quickened his thrusts slightly and nearly immediately exploded into a mighty orgasm, filling her with his seed as he panted and groaned quietly. As soon as he dared, he pulled himself out and dressed quickly while he observed her - she looked to have lost consciousness. Her hands were limp in the manacles and she was not tense or shivering like the last time when they finished. She might be in a much worse condition that he suspected.

His attention switched briefly to the jailor that was supposed to carry her back to her cell and now waited beside her - it was the very same that stared at her so rudely two days ago and now he looked impatient for Severus to leave. Too suspicious, my friend, Snape thought with malice. "Hey, you!", he called him. When the man's eyes met his, Severus slipped inside of his mind using his Legillimensy skills - just in time to see the images the bastard was picturing while looking at her.

He saw brief shards of memories of the bastard groping the girl, mauling her breasts, of him wanking above her... He had enough. His wand was in his hand, cursing the excuse of a man before he even knew it... He wordlessly sent him flying across the room, attracting the attention of everyone present and evoking cheering and laughter. He fought hard with himself to stop casting spells - he was so angry! How dare he to touch her! And what kind of perverted freak would do this to an innocent girl?! He knew part of it was jealousy - the dick touched her gorgeous breast that HE did not even see properly untill today! And she was HIS!

He breathed hard, trying to control his magic; obviously not succeeding as the freak appeared to be choking by something invisible. His knuckles were white on his wand as he struggled to gain control - it would do him no good to kill the fucker now, in front of everybody and seemingly with no provocation, no matter the differencs in their rank. Luckily, the Dark Lord chose this moment to enter the scene.

"Oh, my... Severus, care to explain what is happening here? You know I don't appreciate my followers murdering each other. Without my permission, that is.", he smirked and it gave his snakelike face even more inhuman form than usual.

"My appologies, my Lord.", Severus bowed his head. "I should have asked you first before resolving to violence. May I explain to you in private?" Snape glanced at the surrounding group of nosy Death Eaters.

"Sure, follow me. And you too, Jonathan."

Severus walked out of the room behind the Dark Lord as the son of a bitch tried to stand up. He did not care one bit about him - he truly abhored men who hurt women for pleasure. As soon as they were alone, he kneeled and waited for the permission to speak.

"I'm listening.", his Master said as Severus's mind still reeled with both anger and plans of how to get the best out of this situation.

"My Lord, it was my assumption that the gift - the female you permitted me to use - was just for my pleasure and that I don't have to share it with anybody. Except you, of course, if you ever wished so.", he began carefully.

"And you were right in that, Severus. She was bound to you, so I could be sure her future children would bear your qualities.", the Monster confirmed.

"Thank you, my Lord. The situation in the Central Hall was caused by my suspicion that this scum used my toy when I was not looking, without your or my permission. I discovered her body to be in different state than I left it in and this jerk was the only one who could do it, as he was supposed to guard and carry her. It made me angry and I felt insulted; I apologise once again for my rash behaviour." Severus bowed his head and waited.

"Is it true, Jonathan? Did you borrow the girl without your brother's knowledge?"

"Y-yes, my Lord... But i-it was only once! And she was a h-horrible b-bitch to me! She d-didn't even -" the coward stammered.

"That's enough. I will deal with your punishment in no time." The man turned white, looking ready to piss himself with fear.

"Is there a compensation you would request from this man before I decide his punishment, my dear Severus?" the Lord asked benevolently. That was exactly what Snape had been waiting for and he struggled not to smile.

"If I may be so bold, my Lord, I would like to make sure this will not ever be repeated. I am willing to take responsibility for the care of the whore myself. If you would permit it, I would rather return her to her cell in person and be the only one allowed to visit her there."

"Hm... Do you realise you would sometimes have to feed her too, Severus? It could get bothersome to care for your pets yourself..."

"It will be a bother, my Lord, but my peace of mind is much more important to me... And this way I could use her more often...", he smirked evily, met the Dark Lord's eyes and pushed the enjoyable moments of fucking her to the front of his mind for the Monster to see. The Dark Lord laughed.

"It would please both of us greatly, I'm sure. And now off with you - you have your toy to carry home and I have some business here with our friend...", he waved his hand dismissively and Severus bowed once more before exiting the room. He gave himself a few seconds of waiting behind the door and was indeed soon rewarded by a long and loud scream of the scum, probably spasming on the floor in immese pain. Good.

Then he hurried back to the Hall where he had left her, unprotected and alone, promising himself it would never be repeated.

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Whose point of view would you like next? Hermione or Severus? Let me know, please!


	6. Chapter 6

Over 2000 views, 12 favorites and 32 followers and, what's best, 10 reviews! Thank you so much for your support!

Here is Severus for you as a reward - I picked his point of view, because you seemed confused and it explains more of the situation as Hermione is mostly left in the dark now. Quite literally at that.

CHAPTER 6

 _Then he hurried back to the Hall where he had left her, unprotected and alone, promising himself it would never be repeated._

He arrived just in time to see the other women transported back to their cells by the jailors. Severus found his girl still limp and unconscious in her manacles - luckily for both of them. With three flicks of his wand he leviated her gently, released her from her cuffs and cancelled the curses holding her in place.

Then he barked "Show me to her cell!" at the Death Eater nearest to him who immediately dropped the girl he had just lifted in the air to lead him to the required destination.

Severus watched the girl's floating form so she would not hit anything and got hurt even further. It was a matter of minutes before they arrived to her cell and the sight of it made him stop in his tracks - it looked horrendous. Dark, cold, dank and with only a rough dirty mattress as furniture. Now he knew where she got that fever!

"Go!", he sent the jailor away and was quickly obeyed.

He entered the cell, closed the creaky door as quietly as he could and laid her carefully on her back on the mattress. He kneeled at her side and quickly started working, casting diagnostic charms. Luck really was on his side today - she had a fever, a lot of bruises and scratches, was in pain, dehydrated, malnourished and very sore overall, but her three broken ribs did not puncture her lung. Yet. She would be lost if it had as he had no idea how he could heal something of that scale with the means he had.

So first things first - most importantly he needed a way to monitor her from afar to make sure she is alive and doing alright. And he needed to come up with that quickly; he didn't know how much time he had before she wakes up and starts screaming havoc. He was no good at healing, mostly not having to care for injured people. Except himself, but he always carried the basic healing potions with him, so there was rarely need for any advanced magic. And he never needed to monitor anyone as he usually knew if his heart was beating or not. Wait, that was it! It is exactly what he needed - just to see how and if her heart was beating! It should be simple enough to make something reflect the movement of her heart...

He looked around himself and quickly found a small stone on the floor. He pointed his wand at it while searching for the pulse of the girl with his other hand. When he finally found it, he concentrated on the rhythm of it and wordlessly casted "Motio reflectum" on the stone. And indeed, he could feel a quick and weak beating of a heart against his palm when he took the stone from the floor - one that perfectly mirrored the girl's pulse. Relieved, he put the stone into the pocket of his pants, still feeling it beating against his leg. One thing done at least!

The next thing he had to take care of as soon as possible were her ribs - it was the only potentially lethal injury she had. He touched gently the area of the bruise and tried to ascertain where to best cast the spell. When he thought he found the centre of the injury, he pointed his wand at it and whispered "Episkey" under his breath. He made himself wait a few seconds before he touched her ribs again softly to see if the spell worked properly. Apparently, it did - he could feel her ribs formed in the right shape and her breathing sounded much less laboured now.

He glanced at her face - or where her face was supposed to be, but was hidden by the black velvet cape. He spent hours and hours wondering who she was a whether they had met before. It was likely they had, as she was young and he taught about every witch in Britain who attended Hogwarts... However, there was no seventh or sixth year girl gone missing in the last month and he couldn't think of a single graduate in the last two years that would match her stature, figure and skin colour and wasn't on the Dark Lord's side.

It would all get much more complicated, if she identified him as the Hogwarts terrorizing menace that he was... His best hope was that she was either home-schooled or from a different country - it was quite common for Death Eaters to take captives abroad, especially from their main bases in the United States, France, Germany and Russia. He even took the time and learnt a few calming and reassuring words and phrases in German, French, Russian and Hungarian, although he still held hopes she was English-speaking.

Braving himself, he slowly pulled the cape from her head and finally saw the face of the girl who plagued his brain for the past two days and nights. And it told him nothing. Her face was covered with bruises, blood and scratches and her hair got stuck to her skin in the cape, masking her effectively. The only thing he could be sure about was that her hair was brown - in this dim light he could not even see if it was light or dark brown, but it was something at least. He was royally tempted to light the cell properly and wash her face with a spell, but that would almost certainly wake her up and he REALLY did not want to face the inevitable hysteria and the necessity to stun or petrify her to be able to finish the treatment.

So he turned his attention to her bruised and bloodied wrists - it was nothing very serious, but that could change if the wounds became infected. He pulled out the potions he had stored in his robes for the cases of emergency - there was fortunately no need for the Blood Replenisher or the After-Cruciatus that he usually had to use himself, but he still had a bottle of Murtlap Essence, a Pepper-Up, a mild general Healing Potion, a Painkiller and a Nourishing potion. That would have to do for now.

He tore a bit of his white shirt and had just dipped it in the Murtlap when he felt a set of eyes watching him. He immediately lifted his head to see her face and indeed - there were two brown, soft, almond shaped eyes that were set on him. He froze, not daring to move a muscle. He waited for the panic to start, for her to scream, try to run, attack him, anything.

But nothing happened. She was just observing him calmly, not moving or trying to speak. Was she waiting for the right moment to strike? Or she could be so broken by her imprisonment to stop fighting and became passive... Or she could have really gone mad and now had some kind of hallucinations. Or, maybe - just maybe! - she understood that he only did what he needed to do and forgave him?

Still immobile as to not provoke her into something rush, but still hoping that MAYBE they really could make this work somehow, he decided that he needed some kind of lead about what is going on in her head so he could choose the right thing to do now. Wordlessly, wandlessly and as light as a feather he probed the front of her mind with Legilimency, not giving her any hint of what he was doing and therefore not being able to summon any memories - he did not need them anyway. He was looking for emotions and feelings to tell him how stable or unpredictable she was.

His first impression was that she appeared to be too calm and balanced in the given circumstances - yes, there was a lot of insecurity and confusion, but it made her feel curious! CURIOUS of all the things! He expected disgust, hate, anger at least, but there was no trace of it; she was just watching him with interest, remembering every detail of his appearance and storing the information for future contemplation. What was happening there? Even in her fevered state her thinking was quick and clear, her mind organised and memory obviously well trained - there was no doubt the girl was very bright. And that she was sane, thank Merlin!

He followed the trails of her emotions, concentrating on the pain she was experiencing just in case he overlooked something - luckily he did not, but he could see that she was subjectively bothered by her headache and sore throat the most, both of these closely connected to the wild thirst she sported. And that she desperately wanted to have a shower. Suddenly, she frowned slightly and he felt her detecting something odd was happening - but how could she? He was ever so subtle and careful... But there was no time to contemplate it and he already had what he needed anyway, so he gently left her consciousness, seeing she blinked a few times as he withdrew.

Not wanting to give her too much time to think of what had just transpired, he very slowly raised his hands from her wrists to show her he was not holding his wand and silently asking for permission to continue applying the Essence. After a while, there was the smallest of nods from her and he nearly sighed in relief, not realising he had been holding his breath. He dabbed the wounds gently with the cloth, observing as they healed and closed slowly. Once in a while he risked looking at her; the soft brown eyes never left his Mask.

The eyes... He had seen them somewhere before. Maybe she was one of the students from Beauxbatons that spent a year at Hogwarts during the Tri-Wizard Tournament? There certainly was a few pretty girls there... He quickly went though the French phrases he learned and tried to choose something to say if the need arose. Fortunately, she remained calm and composed and he could work undisturbed.

Finally, her wrists looked good enough - she could use some Bruise Salve too, but he did not have that with him as he usually didn't bother with healing those when he was concerned. He would bring it the next time, he promised her in his mind. He put the now dirty cloth away and ripped a new one from his shirt - there were still scratches to heal. He chose the wounds on her neck and face, nearing the cloth slowly to it and asking for permission again - and once more, it was granted after a while. He touched the cloth to her neck first and watched the gashes close, slowly moving to her face. Her breathing became faster but she still did nothing to stop him. Why did she trust him so much?

There were two ugly and swollen bruises on the sides of her face and he maliciously hoped that the bastard was still screaming above in the room, wishing he was never born. Or dead already, that would suit Severus too - and it was quite possible, given how many other girls in his "care" the man surely abused and neglected... The Dark Lord never had much patience for incompetence of his servants and the girls dying of common thirst certainly did exactly that. Did the scum "just" forget to bring the food and water? Or was he torturing the women on purpose? Severus rather hoped he would never discover as there would be no one to ask after today.

He knew better that to mention the girl was not fed, having fever and injured in front of the lunatic - had he done that, he would be now upstairs, enjoying the same "reward" the jerk did now. The Dark Lord had absolutely no idea of the meaning the world "care" carried as he had never cared about anyone else in his life. And this "project" of his wholly excluded any allowance of getting attached - in any other sense than the physical - to the girls. On the other hand, he understood jealousy and unwillingness to share as if he had invented them himself. And that's why Snape was still breathing now.

While he was pondering this, her face and neck were healed by the potion. But now the really problematic parts came as the only scratches left on her were those on the inner sides of her thighs and the abused nipples. By the looks of her she knew that as well, her brows furrowed slightly. But after a few moments she finally nodded again. He took a clean piece of cloth and dabbed each wound, paying close attention to never touch her with his fingers and avoid any skin contact. Although, if he was honest with himself, he ached to touch her - her skin seemed like pale velvet in the dark and there was her smell everywhere, still so pure regardless her unwashed state...

He had to move his legs a bit to hide his arousal from her - it was rather awkward, really, but he really did not want to scare her. And there were still her breasts that needed his attention... Care! No, healing! That was the world. He made himself stop staring at them and quickly decided to pour the rest of the Essence over two clean pieces of cloth that he gently laid on each of her breasts, obscuring them from view partly at least and hoping they would tempt him a little less like that. They didn't, damn!

With that solved - though he still had no idea how to solve his erection; didn't he have enough for one day, pervert? - it was time to make her drink the rest of the potions. And water, as much of it as she could bear, so the potions had some liquids in her to work with. He put the empty bottle away and without standing from his kneeling position - he truly did not want her to see the bulge in his pants - he slowly pulled his wand from its holder, taking care to show her what he was doing and being careful to never point the wand at her directly.

He pointed it in the opposite direction, conjured a simple wooden cup and filled it with water by using Aguamenti. Then he took the cup in hand and offered it to her, patiently waiting and holding it near to her arm that was resting at her side. She still kept observing him and didn't wait for long before raising her hand and taking the cup from him. However, as soon as it left his hand it slipped from her shaking fingers and fell to the ground, spilling its content. She watched him warily - was she afraid he would get angry at her clumsiness? - as he got rid of the water and filled a new cup for her. T

his time she did not reach for it, however, even as she looked at with longing. Perhaps she was just too weak to hold it? He neared his hand carrying the cup to her. When she did not move away from him, he held the cup to her lips. She made an effort to lift her head, but was shaking with exertion, so he carefully put his other hand on the nape of her neck to help to support her. When she could finally reach the water, she drank it quickly and greedily and was soon finished. He poured second cup for her and then third, but decided to give her stomach a while to settle before the next - it would be all for nothing if it would get upset and made her vomit. He conjured a whole jug of water within her reach and put the cup beside it - she could drink more when she would feel like it. It should last for a day at least.

It was time for the potions - so far she was cooperating much better than he dared to expect and he hoped that even with this she would trust him and just accept it. He would hate to have to forcefeed her... He decided to begin with the one she had most likely tasted before - the Pepper-Up. It was easily recognizable and then she maybe would take the rest as well... He took the small bottle and held it to her mouth in the same manner he did with the cup, letting her see and smell it and not pushing her into drinking in any way. And indeed, after a little while she opened her mouth and obediently drank the content. And then she drank all the rest of them without any objections. He didn't even fight the smile spreading on his face - for some reason she trusted him! They could make this work!

He knew she would get drowsy after the painkiller - it was strong and could made even him fall asleep within minutes - and indeed, he could see her eyelids growing heavy as she fought the tiredness. Seeing that he unclasped his cloak from around his shoulders and covered her with it - he could always say he had forgotten it here. There was only one thing left that needed addressing and now he had no good excuse to delay it. He slowly pulled out his wand and pointed it at her half asleep form, murmuring "Scourgify" softly, his eyes never leaving her face, straining to see her finally.

It was Hermione FUCKING Granger.

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Hermione's chapter will be posted in a few days :-)

Let me know what you think, please!


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Hermione woke to quick feather-like touches of a pair of warm, gentle hands - there was someone here with her, first finding a pulse on her neck and then apparently examining her ribs. She did not have neither the strength nor will to open her eyes and look at the person - it felt like the ground was swinging under her, her eyelids were like lead and her thirst got simply unbearable. But she was conscious, that was certain, she told herself.

The person next to her - he or she had to be kneeling or sitting by her side by the sound of it - took out something wooden - a wand, most likely - and pointed it at her ribs. Was she beyond saving and this person - maybe a healer? - was making it go easier and quicker for her? She certainly wished for it a few times in the past days and now she could not fight it anyway... She squeezed her eyelids together to prepare for the curse and, indeed, it came in a while.

There was a deep voice whispering "Episkey" somewhere nearby and she could feel her ribs mending immediately. Ugh. So it was a healer and she was not beyond saving, obviously! Not yet, that is. And it was a man. Even though she was treated with nothing but gentleness so far, she couldn't help feeling insecure - men could rape women and they did it with pleasure; that's what she learned during her stay in here. But this one had yet to even touch her anywhere improper; as soon as he healed her ribs, he started examining her wrists that lay unbound along her sides now.

Then she heard something tear - what was that? With her curiosity piqued, she found the strength to open her eyes finally. The man - unsurprisingly dressed in Death Eater robes and Mask - was tearing his own shirt? Why? He dabbed the piece of cloth from his shirt in a potion from a bottle he held in his other hand - it looked and smelled like the Murtlap Essence, the same concoction she brought Harry a lifetime ago for his wounds caused by Umbridge... He suddenly stilled in his movement and quickly looked her in the face - or showed her his mask directly, for the only she could see was the faint glitter of his eyes in the holes that were meant for them. He seemed frozen in his tracks. Did he not expect her to be awake? Why was he acting like she caught him stealing the cookies?

The man really did not behave like a healer would... Or not a healer that was sent and meant to help her. Was he there of his own accord? Did he want to help her for some reason? She knew better than to ask him aloud - he would tell her if he felt like it and she really did not want to be under Silencio again. And she should better not make a noise if he was not supposed to be there and that became more and more likely as he was still acting like a rabbit caught in headlights, not moving a muscle and just staring at her.

The stare was starting to make her feel uncomfortable - why was she thinking about wanting to have a shower suddenly? It felt weird, as if someone else came up with that... She frowned and blinked a few times to clear her head and vision and indeed, the feeling eased as if it was never there. Strange... And he started moving, finally, lifting his hand to show her the cloth and the potion and waiting. What for? And then it hit her - he wanted her permission to heal her! What? Since when did anyone here ask her permission to do anything?

Still wondering if she understood him properly, she hesitantly nodded - that would also convey the message that she understood what he was doing in case he was asking for that and she would not look like a total moron. But she was probably right in her first assumption, because he immediately after started dabbing her wrists with the essence, his touch ever so light and tender, making the experience with no doubt the nicest she had over the past few days as relief from the constant pain nearly made her sigh. She watched him as he worked, careful and focused and tender to the extend that Madam Pomfrey's care never even neared to. What a strange Death Eater was this man? They were not supposed to be like that, right?

When her wrists were cured, he tore at his shirt again - why didn't he bring some bandages or gauze if he was going to heal her? - and looked at her once more, motioning to her neck. She nodded her agreement and watched him work from this close. He was still focused intently, but maybe also deep in thought. It was strange when he reached her face - looming above her helplessly lying on the mattress. But he made an effort to never do anything threatening, no sudden moves, not even a sound... Like he was treating a wounded animal. Which she was in a sense, she surmised.

With her face healed and new cloth being taken, it was clear he intended to continue with the rest of her scratches. Them being where they were, she was quite unsure about it, but he hadn't done anything wrong yet - and honestly, she would not be able to do a thing about it, had he wanted to - so she nodded at him again and prepared for being touched there, braving herself not to flinch. When it came, she barely even knew about it. He was careful not to touch her directly and reminded her that she really had not showered for days, so it was no wonder... On the other hand he was not that unwilling to touch her when it was her wrists, so maybe he really did want to avoid embarrassing her even more... It was quite enough that he saw what he was seeing now for that. Fortunately, he just put the Murtlap on her breasts on the pieces of his clothing and left it there to heal and hide her nipples. It felt nice on her skin... Although he was obviously not too comfortable in his position and shuffled his legs to relieve it. Why was he kneeling anyway? He probably just didn't want to seem dangerous by towering over her, but this really looked nearly like he really cared... And that was quite impossible.

Then he took his wand again and for a moment she expected to be lifted, blindfolded and carried to the rape room again, but he pointed it the other way and conjured a cup. A cup! For drinking! She watched as he filled it with water and hoped she would get to drink it. And then some more, preferably! He handed her the cup and she took it - or tried to take it, but as soon as her hand left the floor, it became shaking terribly and she dropped the cup. It clattered loudly on the floor and she glanced at him, startled and hoping she did not get him into much trouble with it, if he wasn't supposed to be here. He didn't seem to care too much and offered her another cup, bringing it to her mouth this time and even helping her to hold her head steady.

She drank the cup as if it was the last she would ever get in her life - and it really could have been for all she knew - and it felt wonderful in her parched mouth and throat. As soon as she drank all the water, she was offered second and third cup and finally felt that she had enough for now. The man was though obviously not done with her and put a potion to her mouth, letting her see and smell it first. She recognised it immediately - she saw and digested it many times in the past as it was probably the most common potion from them all, a Pepper-Up. There was nothing she could confuse it with and she knew she needed it, so she drank. And then she drank a Healing Potion, Nurturing Potion and something that she knew to be a form of a pain-killing potion by the smell of Asphodel and Dittany that she detected in it. When she was finished, she felt better than she had in days and quite a bit drowsy as well - was it the potions or the sudden absence of any pain? She did not even realise how much her whole body hurt until it was gone.

Her eyelids began closing and she fought against it with all she had - he was still in her cell! In a way she trusted him not to hurt her now - he would waste a lot of his own effort if he did - but she certainly wanted to see what he was doing. And he was not doing anything to make it easier for her - the Death Eater unclasped his own cloak and all but tucked it around her as if she were a small child. A DEATH EATER!, her mind screamed at her, but she could feel nothing else than grateful to him at that moment; finally she had something to cover and protect her! And then he even washed her, making her feel nearly like a decent person after such a long time...

He seemed lost in his tracks, just kneeling and watching her, not moving a muscle. Maybe he was finished with her now and was wondering what to do next? Or did he want to wait here until she falls asleep? Her parents did that to her when she was little...

The memory of her parents combined with her much better health, appreciation of his care and, above all, the cloak - she was sure he was not asked to give it to her and therefore had to do it out of common decency - made her say a quiet but clear "Thank you."

She did NOT expect him to flinch away at that as if she had slapped him! He got up fast and nearly ran out of the cell without a glance back at her, slamming the door behind him as if it burned him.

...

What the heck did just happen?!

She lay stunned for a while, wondering what made him react the way he did. Perhaps she startled him by speaking up so suddenly? Or she disturbed him from his thoughts? Or he was a hidden Prince Charming cursed by an evil witch - Bellatrix was somewhere in the building, right? - to never speak with his wife-to-be, she thought, giggling and with no worries on her mind whatsoever as she cuddled in the warm cloak and fell asleep.

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So there it is! I hope it did not disappoint too much...

The next chapter is going to be longer again, but it will take more time to finish and upload it - perhaps even a week; it will be a few busy days for me. I hope you will forgive me eventually and let me know how you like this one!


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

 _So the chapter is finally done! Thank you for your support and especially to Liesl Snake, FrancineHibiscus, Marianna79 and Pirocantha who review regularly and keep me going and happy!_

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The next day - was it really? It was so hard to tell with no clock or light from the outside - was far from being that cheerful. The potions did their work, but the giddy mood that was probably induced by the painkiller never returned. Which was maybe good as well. Still, she felt considerably better than yesterday - she was not sore, thirsty, cold nor sick. And most importantly, there was a small hope that was born the day before when the healer - who was obviously not a healer - came. The simple knowledge that there was someone here willing to help her on his own accord - probably even against the orders - kept her mind occupied to the extend that she did not spare The Pig and his actions any thought in several hours, as she realized with a start.

There will always be enough time for worrying and self-pity, she told herself as she used her new "freedom" to move around the cell and explore every single detail of it. There was a dent in one of the 14 bars on the door to her cell, she counted 6 dark moveable stones on the floor and used two of them to throw out of her cell to discover how far the hall goes in each direction, left and right - hers was probably the one before the last, as the stone thrown on the right side bounced after a few feet, hitting stone and then something iron, likely the bars of the last cell. If the opportunity presented itself, she was to run left out of the door. There was only silence and darkness in the cell facing hers - either it was spelled to look that way or it was empty.

Sighing, she pulled her hands back inside - they fitted through the bars about to her elbows - and went to sit on the mattress, pulling out the cloak she was given from under it first. She decided to keep hiding it as she was sure that any other Death Eater would take it away from her if he discovered it... And she did not want to give The Healer away if it could be identified as his. She covered herself with the dark wool and smelled it again - it still conveyed the original fragrance, the herbs, forest and also a bit of smoke. Was The Healer's job to guard the grounds outside? Maybe he just lived close to the woods or had to travel across it often...

She thought of Hagrid and nearly laughed - no, it was not him, that she could be sure of. But who was it then? She did not even imagine she knew a quarter of all the Death Eaters in Britain, but it would be more logical that someone who chose her - and likely only her out of the many girl in the same situation - knew her from before. He would not destroy his shirt and use all of his potions for a total stranger just by a random choice, right?

Guaranteed, it did not mean that she knew him as well, but it was still much more probable. Pouring a little of her precious water into her cup to sip at slowly, she went through her mental list of the Death Eaters again, but ended up empty-handed once more. Lucius Malfoy was to one to sent her here and even if he felt some remorse, he never went anywhere without his cane... Draco was much smaller than The Healer and Dolohov and Macnair did not have a single tender hair on them. Snape was Voldemort's right hand and about as evil as him - she shivered at the thought of the cold-blooded killer touching her - and Crabbe's and Goyle's fathers were both much fatter and rounder...

Hours after hours went by and she occupied herself with theories, possibilities and plans - the main idea of it all was getting The Healer to help her, Harry and Ron to get out of here, or at least bringing the boys food and potions too for now. She hoped they fared better than her - not being raped at least - and decided that the next time she would simply have to speak to him to at least try to get some information about her friends. And if he runs again, she would try it the next time. The only trouble would be, if he never comes back... She covered herself with the cloak and told herself that it simply will not happen.

She did not know how much time has passed when there was a sudden outburst of noise everywhere, doors creaking, feet stomping, loud laughter and voices echoing throughout the whole building. She startled and quickly folded the cloak to put it under the mattress, hardly managing to tuck it there haphazardly before her door opened with a Death Eater standing in it. She moved away from him as far as she could, inconspicuously trying to tuck back a piece of the cloak that was still sticking out with her hand. She covered herself with her hands and curled in a corner, expecting to be lifted, chained, blindfolded and Silencioed again to be brought to the rape room. But it never happened.

Instead, she was simply thrown against the wall facing the entrance in her cell and bound in the now familiar rape position. So The Pig came here for her again!

"No, please! Please, don't do it! I will do anything, anything else!", she tried to negotiate desperately, pulling at her manacles with all her strength even as blood started to ooze from her wrists. She turned her head as far as she could behind her to see him approaching, not caring about her pleas in the slightest.

"No! Don't! Please I w-", her sentence was cut in the middle as she was put under Silencio and then even her head was turned by a spell to face the wall again when she was hit by Petrificus to stand still.

No! NO! Tears started running down her face as she heard pants and belt hitting the floor - there were still footsteps echoing through the hall, she noticed offhandedly. Someone was watching them probably, adding to her shame as if it wasn't enough! A warm hand stroke her back and something pointy touched her, there was a whisper and she felt oddly... Ugh, wet down there, as if someone filled her with some slime. It couldn't be his, it was too soon for that, if it worked as she thought it did!

True enough, the next minute she felt that hard warm thing pressing against her legs again, demanding entrance which he soon provided for it by spreading her and pushing himself in. She braved herself for the pain, but the agony never came this time... Instead there was an odd feeling of being filled and stretched in all directions - as if she were a human bottle that has been plugged tightly. What a mind image! She must be going crazy!

Even his thrusts were not that painful, just slightly uncomfortable. Was the spell some kind of a lubricating charm? If that even existed... She listened to his backside hitting hers and his disgusting panting and felt like vomiting again - fortunately there was no food nor potions in her stomach any more. So she just cried silently, prayed for it to end and listened to the noises and voices around her - it sounded like there were more rapes going on, one probably in the hallway itself by the sound of it... Although there was a woman's laughter as well - it sounded rather hysterical, but still it was very out-of-place here. Perhaps she was not the only one losing her mind...

Without the pain to deal with, the only thing she could focus on was the wall in front of her eyes, the horrible sounds and her never ending humiliation and shame. Finally there was a groan from him - The Groan, as she learned - and with one last thrust he pushed himself as deep as he could into her and spilled that warm disgusting slime inside of her, shaking and spasming slightly. Disgusting dirty Pig! She really wished he would die at that moment, she thought and the only thing spasming in her was her revolting stomach.

After a while - does he really have to wait with that?! - he pulled out of her, that awful slimy thing sliding along her thigh as it got extracted, leaving a wet trail behind. The goo started leaking out of her already and she never felt that disgusted with her own body before. He dressed himself and then - surprisingly - released her from the spells, leaving her simply chained to the wall.

Her sobs suddenly became audible and she had no strength to stop them, only managing to press her front side to the cold wall to hide herself a bit at least when her hands were useless for that, still bound above her head. She pressed her forehead against the cool stone and squeezed her eyes shut as if her not seeing the world could actually hide her from everyone else.

"Good job, everyone! I see you all know what to do with a horny bitch!", it was Voldemort's voice from only a few steps away. But she won't look! She won't see The Pig and him both gloating and laughing at her!

"Now I have no more pressing need for your service, feel free to retire to your homes, the guards will take the care for the whores from your hands now..."

The Pig neared to her again as Voldemort spoke and his "Stupefy" was the last she heard before her lids closed.

* * *

She stretched in pleasure as her warm, comfortable bed pleaded with her to stay sleeping just a little bit longer. She obeyed without much hesitation, snuggling against her blanket. Wait, why was she sleeping naked? Her eyes opened and she sat up with a start. No! The cell! She was still here, playing the little Death Eater incubating toy. But it felt so different! The Healer must have been here and she slept through it!

Merlin! It was much warmer - not even the floor would feel cold against her feet anymore - and brighter. Brighter? She quickly found the source of the light - there was a magical window above her head! Now she could see that it was day outside! That and a nice bit of forest and a lake.

Someone - The Healer! - also had to put a Cushioning charm on her mattress; now it was entirely comfortable and soft. And he also washed her, she realized with a blush... And there were three things for her next to her bed - she now felt alright with saying it was a bed - a jar with a bluish salve, a huge food tray and a small book.

Although she was rather hungry, she was still Hermione Granger - no matter how they called her here - so she went for the book first. It was hazel brown and small enough to be held comfortably in one hand, the cover was decorated by small and rather cute moving pictures of various owls. She opened it and a simple cheap Muggle pen fell into her lap. What?

She supposed she would never see any of those ever in her life! Staring at the pen and the opened book, she discovered it was not a book - it was a diary! An empty, brand new diary and a pen. Obviously meant for her to have and use. Thank you, Healer!, she thought smiling.

Of course, it could be a trap - she could use no magic to hide her writing or the diary itself, so it could be use against her, if it got into wrong hands... On the other hand, no one was forcing her to spill her heart out and write her most secret thoughts and plans - if she is reasonable, the diary could be used as a notebook for anything that couldn't be used against her or her friends, keeping her occupied and sane... She could start writing poetry!

With a big smile, she put the diary and the pen on her bed and got up to explore the food tray. She lifted the heavy iron lid and gasped, nearly dropping it back - she expected something simple to keep her alive, but this assortment of food looked as if she was imprisoned by Dobby himself. There were several plates of full dishes, all under a Stasis and a Warming Charms, that emitted wonderful smells; she could see mashed potatoes with chicken, Shepard's pie, beef stew, vegetable salad with goat cheese, a kidney pudding... It was like someone took half of a Hogwarts feast table and brought it here! There was even a bottle of pumpkin juice and a flask of coffee!

She grabbed the coffee like the addict she was and poured a cup for herself, a fresh roll in her other hand. This was her first breakfast to bed in years, she mussed and sat comfortably on the mattress while she was enjoying her food.

Still chewing, she looked at the last thing that appeared by her bedside this morning - it was a jar of Bruise Salve. She knew without smelling it - it was written on it's label and the inscription draw her attention like a flame in the darkness... She froze - she knew that writing, she had seen it a hundred times, red and angry all all over her essays! That Salve was labeled and likely also brewed by Snape!

She dropped her now empty cup, her breathing quick and shallow, and observed everything once more. After a second, all fell into place, making a big clang in her brain. The window - same view and type as at Hogwarts, but so few people bothered to learn magic like that as it was demanding and complicated; unless you spent most of your time in dungeons and were currently a headmaster of an ancient magical building. The food was clearly taken from Hogwarts' kitchens and she had never seen anyone else being able to effortlessly cast and keep so many Stasis Charms at once; sometimes as many as on twenty cauldrons with a single flick of his wand. And no one sane would risk his wrath by stealing a simple Bruise Salve from his stores. No one. The Healer WAS Severus Snape.

She closed her eyes and recalled the memory of him feeding her the potions - all in unlabeled bottles. Of course he would not label them for himself when he could recognize them by a glance. He probably carried the basic potions with him at all times, paranoid as he was... And his hands, they were not dirty from outside or her blood, but stained from potions...

She paled - Snape had seen her naked! And he touched her naked! He was about as disgusted as she was, she guessed when she remembered his reluctant actions... And that long stare...

That stare! Snape could do Legilimency! That was what she was feeling, he was reading her mind! But Harry always complained how much that hurt and gave him headaches while she barely felt it... Perhaps there were different kinds of it? She worried about what he might have seen... But he was a member of The Order and Harry and Ron were already captured, so she fervently hoped that there was not much he could discover in the few moments he had for it...

However, the most confusing of all the questions was the "why" one. Why would Snape help her? Why would he keep her alive and healthy, warm, fed and even provide a certain kind of entertainment by his gifts? She was rather sure he was not ordered to do so as his behavior told her. Of course, it could be an elaborate trap to gain her trust, but it would be MUCH easier for her to trust someone she did not share such a bad history with... Snape was about as unlikely to get her friendship as Voldemort - she knew what he did, traitor!

But he was helping her and he had to have a reason. And if she were honest with herself, he HAD helped them in the past, sometimes even at his own risk... It was possible that Dumbledore ordered him to, but then there were times when even the Headmaster didn't know what was happening and Snape still came to help - like when he was trying to save Harry from falling off his broom and she set him on fire, she remembered with a blush. Or in their third year when he put himself in between them and a werewolf... And when they left for the Ministry to rescue Sirius, it was Snape who alerted The Order. She did not know what he was offered to betray them, but maybe he still felt responsible for his students in a way... Or there was an oath of some kind that he could not break.

Be it as it may, there was a reason and she could surely use it somehow - to get him to help Harry and Ron too, preferably. She simply had to find a way to get out of here and away from The Pig - even if it was with help from Snape!

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 _Severus and his side of the story can be expected in a few days :-)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Over 6 000 views now! And each and every of the 23 reviews made me smile widely! Thank you all very much!  
_

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CHAPTER 9

Severus was sitting in his comfortable armchair facing the huge window that belonged to his current office - and was probably the only advantage that came with being a headmaster that he actually enjoyed - a glass of Firewhiskey in one hand and a small stone in the other. His brow furrowed, he spent the last five hours thinking, planning, wallowing in guilt and anger, drinking and swearing aloud which was the cause why several of the portraits on the wall still clasped their own ears forcefully, although his last bout of that happened about an hour ago. The stone was pulsing in a slow, steady rhythm - the girl was probably still sleeping.

The girl! He still struggled to unite the notion of the woman with a body of a Goddess that haunted him for days and that he had nothing in common with except sex with the image he had of Hermione Granger - his former student, the know-it-all, a bushy haired bouncing menace that lived with her hand raised above her head - whom he never ever thought of in any erotic context. As with all of his students, he was supposed to educate her and keep her from physical harm; she was one of the rare cases where the second proved far more difficult than the first.

He could only despair when he imagined what the pair of idiots was up to without her to tell them what to do; running in circles like headless chicken till they got themselves killed, he had no doubt. Potter and the Weasley brat - the Dark Lord should have taken HIM for breeding, these redheads were all famous for being able to do that, only that - did not have enough wits in them combined to open a door without hitting their heads!

He started swearing again and threw the glass into the fireplace, making Dippet squeak rather undignifiedly. How did she get caught anyway? Most likely she was saving their sore asses again! And he can't free her, not truly, not ever! The best he could hope for was getting her out of the Fortress somewhere safe. Or safer - and lock her in, for he had no doubt that she would try to rejoin the two baboons at any cost, running together around trees, bushes and pools as they did a few months ago when he saw them last. It was his typical dumb luck! Only he could end up bound to the only girl that was necessary for the downfall of the lunatic he had to serve. And he was certain the madman did not even know it!

How did she get caught!? He would have to find out somehow... He felt a tinge of embarrassment when he - reluctantly - remembered how he left her. Left her! More like ran away like a schoolgirl who glimpsed into the boys' bathroom by accident! What was worst and unforgivable, in his agitation he even forgot to ward the cell and to leave her some food there - not that he could conjure anything really good out of the thin air; there was a reason why wizards still bought groceries and kept House Elves - but he could still do more than most and his apples were quite edible. If he left a few dozens of them for her, it would keep her alive at least, in case he couldn't bring her anything better tomorrow for some reason. She would maybe thank him again!

He snorted aloud, shaking his head. THANK HIM! The bastard who stole her virginity, raped her brutally, let her suffer for days and only then provided for the basic needs she had... Deserving gratefulness, fuck him backwards! She may have been influenced by the potions, but still she sounded honest and thinking clearly; she probably really meant that. But why would she thank him? Why would she thank any Death Eater?

He got up and started pacing around the room. He had next to no doubt that she did not recognize him - she was not a Death Eater for twenty years to identify her "brothers" routinely and quickly be their height, weight, hands, gestures, wand and the way they were moving or standing that was a second nature to him. She still probably oriented herself by the face and hair as most people did... The only thing that could give him away was his voice, but then he never spoke much in her presence and was always whispering and wearing his Mask, both of which changed anyone's voice considerably.

Suddenly, his agitated pacing stopped as a thought hit him - if she was really untrained and saw only his Mask, she may not have even know that it was him who raped her when he was healing her in her cell! That would explain why she was so composed in his presence... She probably didn't detect the smell of recent sex on him that he himself would never miss. Shit! One day she is bound to find out and then the true hell will begin... And he had hoped that she simply understood! Cretin!

He grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey with the only intent to drink till he passes out. After two hours, he did, slumped in the chair and squeezing the small black stone in his hand as if his life depended on it.

* * *

The next day wasn't the best in his life either; he woke with a blinding headache and the nearest useful potion was in his potion stores down in his lab. Fuck.

He managed to assign 8 detentions and scare as many students witless - he met a total of 8 people on his way to the dungeon, so he supposed it was a passable score. But not even that fixed his mood. Sneering and fuming, he took one of the potions labeled for the infirmary when a jar caught his eye - the Bruise Salve. The girl... He grabbed the jar, shrank it and put it into his pocket. One thing prepared at least... Surprisingly, THAT made him feel a tad better, he observed. Perhaps doing something for her was better than making everybody else miserable... Strange things were happening nowadays.

Ignoring his unease about his own emotions, he made straight for the kitchens - the girl needs to be fed. It was highly irresponsible to leave her after days of hunger with only a potion in her system, she needed real food to recover fully...

Entering the spacious but narrow room, he barked "Food for one person to last one week!" and watched the annoying creatures all jump, squeak and run around, fetching the required items. He was not so cruel to stress them on purpose; he simply needed to avoid the wailing lest his head explodes and mainly to keep his image - he worked too hard and did too much to lose it over being sentimental to a bunch of House Elves.

"And coffee!", he added remembering that he saw her choosing it over tea in the same way he did. When everything seemed prepared, he put Stasis and Warming Charms on it to keep it fresh and shrank it to fit into his pocket. Now she at least won't starve if something kept him from coming to her every day...

After a short visit to the library and with the knowledge that he has the basic necessities for his next visit with the girl - Miss Granger! - he decided to start acting like the Headmaster again. Meaning to do something with the huge pile of unanswered letters lying on his desk. Buggering hell.

Grumpy but not in the head-eating mode any more, he ascended the staircase and closed the door, thinking that he would be MUCH rather locked in the Fortress than doing this. Sitting at his desk, he briefly yet thoroughly considered writing to the Dark Lord first confessing to being a traitor and spy, so his suffering would end finally. In the end he rubbed his forehead and opened the newest report from the Shool Board meeting with resignation.

* * *

The Dark Lord HAD TO know he was a traitor when he assigned him this job, Snape thought desperately when several hours later the pile was still about half as high as it was in the morning. Throwing away his pride and admitting defeat, he rose from the desk, grabbed the Charm book he borrowed in the morning and sat in the armchair.

It didn't take long for his Mark to start burning. Did the madman have EVER enough? It was not even the night yet! He was still swearing as he hurriedly grabbed his Death Eater robes and mask, cursing the whole world. He was one of the last to arrive at the required place - there was already quite a crowd gathered, probably as many as 100 Death Eaters, ranging from the newbies to old veterans. So this is going to be big. That was never good, especially as the Inner Circle hadn't been told in advance... And indeed, in a few minutes he saw the Dark Lord rose into the air to address them. He rather hoped the monster had at least some pants under the robes this time...

"My dear friends, welcome! You were gathered today for a very special occasion - a celebration! A feat of our power and might for the whole Wizarding world to behold and beware! Our mission today is to remind the center of our economy - Diagon Alley! - who we are and what we can do!"

A raid then, Snape thought unhappily as the crowd cheered. Innocent people will die tonight...

"The orders are simple and WILL be obeyed under all circumstances. Every shop, no matter whether open or closed, big or small, will taste our power. All except the Gringotts as they are keeping and protecting our assets as well. And the wandmaker's shop, Ollivander's, is to be attended by me personally - stay out of my way for I wish to visit it alone. Feel free to take hostages, especially young witches are rather useful for us... And last but not least - enjoy your shopping, my friends!"

Laughter and Apparition bangs echoed throughout the field where they were gathered and Snape had no choice but to follow. It was close to the closing time for most of the shops, so the street was fortunately quite empty and the few wizards and witches who still wandered Diagon Alley quickly Apparated elsewhere as soon as they saw the first masked man. The real problem will be the shopkeepers, Snape guessed, they wont want to leave their property and could get trapped easily...

Whereas most of his brothers divided spontaneously into groups of about 3 or 4, he remained alone - no one seemed to enjoy his company and he was very glad for it now as he may avoid hurting anybody while he was unobserved. But even without the attention from his fellow Death Eaters, he had to show himself off somehow; preferably "just" by sheer destruction power and not killing. Without thinking, he made it straight for his favorite shop - not the Potion Ingredients of all Kinds as many would guess but Flourish and Blotts. The store was still open, but fortunately empty save from the shopkeeper.

"Go!", Snape barked as he entered. The man who always wrapped his books in paper that smelled of sandwiches stood with his mouth slightly open, frozen.

"Go, now!", he ordered again. "Use the back door and hide at the Gringotts! Don't come out into the street!"

The man still stood in shock even as screams from other shops reached their ears. Snape pointed at a pile of books a few feet away from him and made it explode with a flick of his wand, hoping it would rouse the man.

"Go!", he bellowed as the man flinched and finally started running towards the back exit. Snape wished him luck silently and got to "work". This has to look spectacular when he is finished. Focusing on his frustration over the girl, anger at Dumbledore and the Dark Lord who made him do this and the Carrows who were destroying his image of the only home he ever had, he channeled his destructive magic into inflicting pure doom and havoc, making the whole building shake.

Suddenly, after what felt to be only minutes, he was halted in his tracks and all anger left him. That brown! Calm, light brown eyes were staring at him again from the ground, nearly buried under a pile of torn parchment, never leaving his face. He blinked to clear his vision. There was something hazel brown under all the mess... Lifting it and removing the worst of the dirt, he saw it was a diary. He stared at the moving owls on its cover. The girl, Hermione. He thought about her silent and curious look - the girl could use a diary, she had no one to talk to...

Putting the small book into his pocket and touching the pulsing stone he always carried with himself with his other hand, he felt like himself again and looked calmly around. The shop was in ruins - not a single windowpane remained intact, debris was falling from the cracked ceiling and the floor was covered with shards and splinters. There were huge stains of red on the walls and he didn't even remember hanging the figurine that was thrown inside by someone else from Madam Malkin's - now it had a noose around its neck and "TRAITOR" spelled in red letters across its torso. So there were finally some "Blotts" in the shop. He didn't realize he was that melodramatic... Anyway, his job was obviously done here. It was getting dark outside and even the screams and bangs were less frequent and loud.

Indeed, it didn't take long - he barely managed to exit the shop - when his Mark started burning again. The raid was over and they were to return to the original place, the field near the Fortress. Closing his eyes, he focused on his destination and with a bang he found himself standing there once more, surrounded by his "brethren". Sweet. Like a family gathering where everyone reeked of blood, fear and smoke.

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I apologize for cutting the chapter short here - it simply got too huge to keep together. To make up for that, the next part will be published soon :-)

Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

The Dark Lord was already awaiting them, smiling in his lipless horrible sneer. "Now, that was fun and something they would remember, am I right?", he asked the crowd that was drunk with adrenaline and violence and cheered like Chudley Cannons' fans.

"With your duties done, I proclaim your service finished for today, at least for most of you! My Inner circle is to gather inside in the Entrance Hall whereas the rest of you - go and enjoy the rest of the night!"

With that said, the Monster floated itself in the direction of the Fortress and Snape followed with a huff as did the rest of the most trusted Death Eaters. Voldemort met them in the Hall and promptly led them to the prison section. Severus swallowed hard.

"The more clever of you", the Dark Lord said, obviously overlooking Grabbe and Goyle, "have surely guessed what the next part of your job is today. I bet you are very much in the mood for it after today's entertainment!", Dolohov laughed evilly and Snape longed to curse him more than he ever wanted to curse the Potter brat. And that was something.

"I granted some of you the permission to visit your girls even outside our common appointments and I feel it fair to extend the invitation to all of you who wish to do so - just be careful to fuck the right whore - Goyle! - and make sure it's at least once a week, we are somewhat running out of the spares. And one more thing - the last one of yours, Antonin, was found dead. That would be alright in itself, those things happen and she would certainly not be strong enough to bear a strong baby anyway, if she couldn't take that... But she died as a virgin!", the Dark Lord bellowed and Dolohov shuffled nervously.

"That is unacceptable. The girls are not here to play but to breed with! Do what else you want with them as long as you fuck them too. Therefore, the guards will check them after each of your visit to make sure they were properly inseminated and report to me immediately if they found out you were slacking off in your duties. Now they will lead you to the correct cell - pay attention to where it is, Goyle! - and we shall make sure that our legacy continues and grows once more!"

Fucking shit! Buggering whore's sore arsehole! That just couldn't be true! So he will either have to neglect her or rape her every other day now!

He stood frozen and was the last one to enter the jails - unfortunately for him as it made him witness the Dark Lord chaining a naked Bellatrix to the wall to fuck her from behind. He belly looked swollen - so that was where he got this "Legacy" idea from! The bitch was pregnant! There will be a new Dark Lord or Lady soon... The baby was bound to be anything but normal, given his parentage. And here he thought the situation couldn't be any worse, moron!

Swearing silently and agonizing over all the recent information he reached the girl's cell, just a few steps away from the disgusting shagging pair of monsters. He opened the door and watched the girl cover herself in fear as she tried to hide the cloak he had given her under the mattress. It made him stop - was she protecting him? Hiding the cloth so his help would not be discovered by the others? Maybe she just didn't want him to change his mind and take it away...

Pushing the disquieting theories away from his mind, he pulled out his wand - this had to happen and there is nothing that could change it, especially under such a close "supervision" from the Dark Lord.

He lifted and chained her against the wall in a clear view from outside - there was no room for being shy.

"No, please! Please, don't do it! I will do anything, anything else!" She started begging desperately in a shaking voice and his heart stopped. She wriggled and pulled at the manacles with such strength that blood started pouring from her wrists again. He couldn't let her hurt herself!

She turned her head to look at him and the fear in her face made him close his eyes in shame. No, he can't do this!

"No! Don't! Please I w-", the words put another dagger into his nearly dead heart. Silencio!, he spoke in his mind and the girl was cut in mid-sentence.

With all his insides revolting, he looked outside where the monster was fucking the crazy bitch. There was simply no way around this - they had to survive. And she would be the one to die first if he did not continue.

Looking at her bloodied wrists, he immobilized her with her head facing the wall - he wouldn't be able to do it with the fearful eyes staring at him. He will take care of her later when this is over.

Using his Occlumency skills again, he forcefully pushed everything away - every memory, every feeling, those big brown panicked eyes. They will haunt him later, he had no doubt, but now only her beautiful naked body existed, prepared and pleading with him to be touched. He did exactly that, stroking the soft skin on the luxurious curve of her back and inhaling her pure scent... His dick twitched in his confines and he made to release it with his other hand.

Putting his pants down, he remembered the Charm he learned a few hours ago and flicked his wand at her, whispering the incantation. Now she shouldn't feel any pain - at least not from not being prepared for him... Though HE was very much prepared for her, he thought as his cock stood erect, demanding his and her attention.

He touched her pussy - she was so soft, inviting and beautiful! - it was dripping wet. Imagining she was wet from wanting him, he could not wait any longer and pushed himself in. Suppressing his groan, he reveled in the feel of her around him again, thinking he would never get enough of this even if he stayed like that for the rest of his life. But his cock wanted him to move, so he obeyed, thrusting himself in and out with a steady rhythm.

The bliss made him close his eyes, a relaxed expression on his face as he enjoyed her clean scent and her wet, warm, delicious pussy wrapped tightly around him. His pleasure escalated and it took only minutes for him to feel his orgasm approaching, making him thrust even deeper and quicker into her until he felt himself explode, spilling all he had as deep inside her as he could get and groaning in pleasure.

When the last twitches subsided, he felt strong enough to pull himself out of her, still light-headed and rather out of his mind and breath.

Still panting, he looked around and discovered that the two beasts on the hallway finished fucking as well, the male one now checking and observing the other couples whereas the bitch still laughed and moaned in her chains.

Looking at the girl, he murmured "Finite Incantatem" to release her from the petrified position that had to make her uncomfortable. He expected her to start screaming and swearing at him - yet, she only curled against the wall and cried quietly and his heart clenched again.

He had made numerous girls cry before - there was hardly a day when it did not happen at school - but this was totally different. This girl had a reason to cry, she was not just being sentimental or stupid or over-ambitious. And it was because of him - he used her in the worst way possible. It was unforgivable and he felt deeply disgusted and ashamed of himself. Again. And he would have to do it many more times before he could finally end this theater and off himself. Greater Good. Fuck you, you old goat fucker!

The monster was speaking to them once more, but he didn't listen. The girl needed to be taken care of - she was obviously in shock. She needed to sleep and be kept warm. He put her under a sleeping charm while saying "Stupefy" aloud and released her from the chains so he could float her on the mattress. He laid her gently down and took care of her wrists, healing them with a new dose of Murtlap. He briefly considered healing her bruises too, but then thought better of that - he was sure she wouldn't want him to touch her, especially when she was sleeping, and the bruises were all accessible to her, so she could do it herself. He put the jar next to her on the ground.

Then he pulled out the food tray he had shrunk to fit into his pocket and enlarged it again. And then the diary he found at the shop, adding the Muggle pen he always carried with him as it was way more practical than quills and ink. He was tempted to tamper with the book and make it into something more - to communicate with her or to at least see what she wrote in it, but magic like that was impossible in here. The Dark Lord was way more cautious with his prisoners than Dumbledore ever had been with his students and the wards around the Fortress blocked all kinds of magical transmission. No Portkeys, no Apparition, no Patronus messages, no fucking Vanishing Cabinets, not even the Wizarding Wireless could reach this place. So no tampering with the diary too.

But back to work again - now it was time to make this place look a little less like a hellhole without being too obvious about it... First he casted Warming Charm on the bed, walls and floor, so she would not get cold. Then it was time to do something with the bed... He couldn't actually conjure a new bed for her, but he might at least put some Cushioning Charm on it, so it would be softer and more comfortable.

The cells still looked rather depressing - a bit of light would do it a great service. But he could light no torches, the flame would be too obvious and dangerous. And natural light would make anyone feel much better, also giving her some clue of the time flow... He remembered the week he spent locked by his father in the cellar and shuddered - it was not the hunger or thirst, but the oppressing ignorance of the time that made it an eternity in his memory.

He closed his eyes, remembering his own favorite view and conjured a magical window for her, hidden behind a small alcove from anyone who would not enter the cell. No one - except him - will enter the cell from now on, he promised himself and invested all his knowledge and power to create the best wards he possibly could. He was not forbidden to do so - everyone who will try entering without his allowance will burn...

With the most pressing matters resolved, he took a while to observe her while she was resting. She was not the girl he remembered from school - her features matured over the months and she grew from the awkward toothy little girl into an elegant, graceful woman. She really was beautiful. He admired her for a few more minutes, the lucky undeserving perverted bastard that he was. Then he covered her with the cloak he pulled out from under the mattress and washed her with a charm. As he was exiting the cell, closing the door quietly behind him, his eyes were drawn to her form once more and he prayed with all he had that one day, when he is long dead and forgotten by everyone, she would maybe forgive him what he did.

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Thank you so much for your support, guys!

Unfortunately, I do not know when then next chapter will be uploaded - I am having a holiday in the countryside, the Internet connection may not be sufficient... It is probably going to be Severus again, though, hope you don't mind too much!


	11. Chapter 11

_Your reviews made me write like crazy - again! So a new chapter is here much sooner than I expected. Thank you so much, guys!_

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CHAPTER 11

Ever since he left the girl, Severus couldn't help himself spending every free second he had thinking of her - or, to be precise, theorizing of all the clues, reasons and outcomes of their situation and worrying. Yes, worrying. He, Severus Snape was worried - not angry (or not too much), not depressed, not desperate, not even worried about himself - he was worried about being summoned, having to do it again, but - most all - he was worried about her, even if he hated to admit it.

He had no delusions - the girl hated him more than she hated anyone else, he was quite sure of it. Everyone hated him; she was one of the rare students that maybe didn't hate him that much, but she certainly did, even before the whole Dumbledore disaster. And then he raped and humiliated her, kept her in prison and used her for his pleasure. And what a pleasure he got from her, still lusting after her, freak! Once she discovers who he is and that it was all done by him, she will let him know and feel the hatred in full, he had no doubt. And it will hurt him, he knew that too for sure.

There were only two people in his life that he had ever truly cared about and both hurt him so much that it never healed, making his heart harden, freeze and stop feeling any dangerous emotions. Up until a few days back when the girl appeared in his life. He was aware that caring for her was next to suicidal for him - he could not afford another emotional blow like that, it was bound to tear him apart completely... But it happened and he started caring - ever since that calm brown pair of eyes caught his down in the cell.

What an idiot he was! He hit the table with his free hand in anger, his right hand still clutching the pulsing dark stone. It was beating faster, he observed, the girl probably woke up. He hoped she would eat the food - she was cooperating so far. Thank Merlin he left her enough of it this time, as it will not be necessary to visit - and rape - her in the near future. But it was unavoidable - it couldn't wait longer than a week and he still had to wash her, although he supposed she would rather be dirty than raped. And he needed information from her, so a clash was sure to happen.

Rubbing the fast beating stone again - she was agitated about something, maybe the diary - he glanced up at the clock on the wall, got up from his Headmaster's chair with a sigh and resignedly descended the moving staircase to join the crazy Carrows for yet another inspection.

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It took three days and nights during which he could hardly work or sleep to finally brave himself and Apparate to the Fortress, pockets full of food and head full of anxiety of what was about to happen. He planned carefully what to say to her - how he would first feed her, assure her of his nonviolent intentions, discover how she got caught and then, maybe, in the unlikely case that everything goes well, tell her who he is. And then probably put her to sleep and rape her - it was highly immoral, horrible and disgusting, but they could make it work like that as far and long as she doesn't connect the dots.

Passing the guards at the entrance, he stared them down so they would not dare to greet him, let alone follow him to the cell. Obtrusive bastards. He noted that the one who molested his girl was missing. At least one good point for today... Slowly and quietly he reached the cell before last on the right - his steps still echoed through the hall and he did not Silencio the cell for her so she could have some warning if someone was approaching her.

He found her wide-eyed and sitting on the mattress, holding her knees to her body. She looked much better than she did 3 days ago - not a single bruise on her, her cracked lips healed and her body not so thin. She eyed him warily as he carefully opened the door and closed it behind him. He showed her his empty hands and they watched each other for a while - her look wary and unsure, his calming and steady.

"Professor Snape?", she called his name quietly and he nearly choked.

Fuck.

FUCK!

Did someone tell her who he was? He wanted to strangle the wankers at the gates! What should he say now? 'Hi! Yeah, it's me, baby! Peek-a-boo!' and throw his Mask away with a big smile?!

"I don't know why you are helping me and you don't have to tell me, but I need to know how are the boys? Harry and Ron? Are they OK?", she looked at him with nervous eyes, worry written on her face.

What?! She knows who he is, but all she cares about are the two dunderheads?! No "Why did you kill Dumbledore"s or "How can you be with the Death Eater scum"s. He had been wrong to assume she was sane, definitely!

"And, pray tell, how would I know anything about Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley?", he pulled his now useless Mask from his face to sneer at her more efficiently. Surprisingly, she acted as if he should know for some reason, staring at him with dumbfounded eyes.

After a while she said, "I... Well I supposed they were still here, but maybe they were moved somewhere else... I have no idea what happened to them since we were separated..."

FUCKING SHIT!

"Were you arrested together? When? Speak clearly!", he ordered her, panic rising. She shied away from him a bit, curling more tightly into herself, but still answered his question quickly - as she always did.

"Yes, Lucius Malfoy brought us here after the Snatchers discovered our hiding place, then we were taken by the guards into different cells. I don't know when it was, maybe a week ago...? It was March 13th."

Holy Merlin's hairy balls! The Wonder Boy was in the Dark Lord's hands for 6 days and he had no clue about it! Was he the only one who hadn't been told? Was the Dark Lord suspecting him? It didn't seem likely, he would be made to feel it if he had fallen out of favor... But why would the maniac keep it secret? He was supposed to gloat and scream it for the whole world to hear!

He noticed she was still watching him expectantly while he was considering the possible reasons. But it was certainly better to get the answers from her now and plan later when there would be more time for it. And no worried big brown eyes.

"As I said, I don't know anything about the two idiots. I did not see them here.", that was definitely true, he just couldn't decide whether it was fortunate or not.

"Sir, could you... Ehm, would you maybe try to find out something, please? And tell me?", she asked him, lowering her eyes to her knees shyly. WHAT?! He didn't think anyone ever managed to shock him so many time in so few minutes. She did not want him to help her escape, she did not ask him to bring her anything, she did not even ask about the Bonding Ritual. She asked him to get information about Potter! As if he had anything more urgent than that now! Of course he will try to find out, even without her plea. Yes, the girl was mad.

"I suppose that could be managed. I will let you know as soon as I can.", he promised and meant it. There was no harm in telling her - she was highly unlikely to be interrogated now. Her face lit up immediately and he felt his chest swell. Damn, who was he? A love-sick puppy?

"But you think they are alive, don't you, sir? They have to be!", she sounded like she wanted to appear confident, but failed spectacularly.

"Yes, I actually believe they are - the Dark Lord would surely spread that information widely as it could only help his cause. But it doesn't mean that it will not happen in the immediate future." The smile that was on her face a second ago diminished somewhat and got replaced by a thoughtful expression. The resulting silence enabled him to hear footsteps approaching.

Fuck, the guards! Someone was nearing to check on them, he had been here for too long already and could not possibly be caught friendly chatting with the girl. There was no time to waste.

"Miss Granger, I am very sorry for what's about to happen.", he told her lamely and her big eyes widened.

He didn't even have time to lift and bind her with spells, the man was just a few feet away now, so he just quickly made a few steps to reach her and grabbed her by the wrists with one hand, lifting and turning her around easily - she weighted next to nothing - and put his pants down with his other hand.

"W-what are you doing, professor? What happened-! No! No, please, don't! You can't!", she finally registered his actions and started fighting him physically, trying to wriggle out of his grasp to escape.

He had to press against her bodily to stop her and pushed her against the wall. She was still struggling and started panting with exertion. Her hair and her smell was all over his face, her whole soft naked body tightly against his. Her skin began to sweat, amplifying her natural odor, and together with her movement against his naked dick it made him want to fuck her more than he ever did. She was saying something, screaming and pleading probably, but nothing got to him now - there was just him and her lithe young beautiful body, her round firm butt pressed against his cock.

He forgot to use the Lubricating Spell - he couldn't do it even if he remembered - he forgot about the guard watching them, he did not even hear anything but their quickened breath and panting. Pressing his face to her elegant neck and burying his nose in her hair, he inhaled her scent from this close and his hip thrust forward on their own accord, pushing his cock in between her legs which she kept tightly together.

He put his free hand on her lower belly and pushed her wonderful arse closer to him, bending her slightly at the hips. His hand slipped a bit down as she still fought him and got on her pussy, then in between her pussy lips. He groaned when he felt her soft flesh there on his fingers and couldn't do anything else than thrusting himself into the warmth and softness that was her.

She flinched and nearly managed to get away from him in his sudden relaxed bliss, but that would not do - he needed her. He needed her warmth, he needed her touch, he needed her purity. So he pulled her firmly to himself again and started thrusting inside her with a fevered pace, losing himself totally in the sensations she was giving him. It was as if his cock was on a delicious fire that was spreading throughout his whole body, making his head spin. His hips moved on their own accord and he held her tightly, his nose full of her smell.

And then the world erupted and he knew nothing of it as he shook and twitched, his cock shooting huge loads of cum deep into her with every wave of the immense pleasure that was surging through him. God, he never felt that spent in his life, only slowly returning to reality and still clutching her firmly to him.

Desperate sobs reached his ears - she was crying. Fuck! Feeling like he had just woken up from a dream, he released her and got away from her as quickly as he could. She fell to her knees, obviously unable to stand on her own.

He moved to help her up, but she raised a shaking hand and said "No!" in a hoarse voice full of tears.

And he obeyed, standing where he was, a few steps away and still half naked. Someone was clapping and cheering behind him and he pulled out his wand, firing a Crucio at the bastard. He didn't know if he hit his target or not, his eyes never left her slumped form - there was a pained scream and the sound of somebody running away. And then only her irregular desperate sobs that shook her whole body.

He raped her. He raped her several times now, but this was the first time where he really felt like a rapist; he forced her physically, hurt her while doing it - he could see the bruises on her body forming already - and, what was the worst, he didn't give a single thought to her well-being during the whole act. He could have hurt her much more than a few odd bruises and scratches. And a severe trauma, he concluded as she was shaking badly in the same position she fell in, her eyes slightly unfocused and her face very pale.

He pointed his wand at her, intending to put her to sleep and maybe Obliviate her too - he abhorred the Charm, nearly never used it, but in this situation it was justifiable. He himself would not want to remember this. He had the charm nearly formed in his mind when she spoke again.

"No, don't.", she did not scream, she did not order him. She just stated that he wouldn't do it and there was nothing soft in her eyes now. She stared him down like he was a rampart first year and he lowered his eyes and wand. It would be good for her to calm down and get some sleep, but he felt that he would irreversibly overstep an invisible but important threshold if he did not listen to her at that moment.

"Can I-", he started and moved in her direction again, but she cut him short.

"No, go away. Let me alone.", in that dead raspy voice once more. And his legs obeyed even before his brain gave the order to, putting his pants on quickly. He stopped in the doorway once more to look at her - maybe she changed her mind and would let him help her - but was met only with that now unflinching serious hard eyes. Lowering his gaze, he closed the door quietly behind him and strode through the hall towards the exit, feeling the worst he did since 16 years ago when he found Lily's dead body.

His fingers shook and uncontrolled magic cracked around him, lifting debris and pebbles from the floor. Helpless anger and guilt battled for dominance in his constricted chest when he reached the end of the corridor and saw a group of guards gathered around one who was just wearily putting down his mask to swipe at his sweaty forehead, speaking quickly and in a hushed voice to the rest of them.

The chatter immediately stopped as soon as his presence was registered and his anger won over and focused, releasing his wild raw magic in a huge wave that sent them flying in all directions. Broken bones creaked and yelping, groaning and choking followed as each of them was pressed against a wall clutching at their necks with their hands.

He did not even stop, just passed them and warned in a low threatening voice, "The next fucking voyeur will not get away with only a Crucio aimed at him." He left them there gasping for air and without a glance back headed straight for the Apparition Point.

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 _So, that was it - I hope you enjoyed the chapter, but let me know even if you didn't, please. You are way too nice to me!_


	12. Chapter 12

_One of the longer ones this time!_

 _I am afraid that those of you who were unhappy about the last chapter are not going to like this one either - sorry, guys... :-(_

 _I feel obliged to warn you: **!scenes of violence, rape and self-harm in this chapter!**_

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CHAPTER 12

Hermione was sitting on her mattress, her legs crossed, a black cloak draped over her and stared thoughtfully at the scenery behind a magical window. Her brows were furrowed and a brown diary was settled comfortably in her lap as she tapped a white Muggle pen against her chin. Something that would rhyme with "mine"... And would fit into the verse...

Finding the right words for her writing was the biggest problem she had over the past three days - at least aside from the obvious lasting complications like being imprisoned, routinely raped and kept from doing anything really useful. But it took her mind off the constant planning and worries that plagued her whenever she put the diary down.

She noticed the sun was up in the middle of the sky above the lake - it was time for lunch! She lifted the heavy metal lid and selected a vegetable sandwich. Due to the perfect charms applied on it, it was deliciously crunchy, the grilled tomatoes still warm...

She chewed contently and her thoughts strayed to the caster of the charms again. Snape. Her former professor, the killer of Dumbledore - and many others, doubtlessly - was helping her survive this hell. When he wasn't tormenting the students at Hogwarts, licking Voldemort's feet - and who knows what else? - raiding or doing whatever the Death Eaters do in their leisure time at any rate which seemed to be the case now - he hadn't showed up in the past three days.

The first day she spent anxiously expecting the Pig to come and rape her again since he had done so every day that far. But he never came, nor anyone else. The second day was even worse and she even started chewing at her nails - something she hadn't done since she was a kid. But this morning she decided not to torture herself - there was nothing she could change by fretting over something that may not even happen. She will deal with it when it happens. Till then there were more useful and enjoyable things to do.

She had a plan - and plan B, C, D and E - for what to do and say to the professor when he will visit again. The rules for all the situations were quite simple: 1) never thank him openly, lest he escapes again, no matter what he does or brings for her, 2) don't ask too many questions, he always hated when she did that; begin with something unlikely to be uncomfortable to answer for him, 3) start slowly and don't demand too much of him at once, so he won't change his mind about helping, 4) stay respectful and polite, don't show what she knows and thinks about his person, hopefully he will do the same for her, and finally 5) find out about the boys and get him to assist them too, if he is not doing it already.

She closed the diary and watched to moving pictures. This was the most mysterious thing he did so far - it did nothing to keep her alive. Either it was a method to spy on her or something to keep her sane. But she didn't need to stay sane to be useful for Voldemort - he just needed her womb to breed his Death Eaters. Furthermore, the book did not look like something the strict professor ever owned - it wasn't even black! And the pen... He was a half-blood as they discovered a year ago, so it made sense to some extend... She just never supposed he used anything remotely non-magical - she even expected him living in a dark abandoned castle over the holidays!

The evening approached and she was just listing every potion ingredient she ever heard of when she heard slow footsteps approaching. In a second, she put the cloak, diary and the pen under the mattress and hid her nudity as well as she could behind her hands and legs. She hadn't been washed in three days and rather hoped she did not smell too bad - or at least not too far away.

As soon as he saw her visitor, she knew it was not the Pig - there wasn't that arrogant confidence and pompous gestures he used in this person. He acted slowly, quietly and with a certain stealth - exactly the Healer who was so careful not to startle her. And he was missing his black cloak still. When he closed the door and raised his hands to show her they were empty, she was sure.

"Professor Snape?", she greeted and asked at the same time. He did not move. He probably did not expect her to know. So she was right - it was him. Now it was best to be careful, he looked ready to bolt.

"I don't know why you are helping me and you don't have to tell me, but I need to know how are the boys? Harry and Ron? Are they OK?", she asked him cautiously.

There was a pause and, finally, he moved - he took his Mask off his face and she saw him sneering at her - exactly as he did most of the time that he spent in her company. He changed a lot over the months, she noticed - his face was even thinner and sallower than it used to be and there were big dark circles around his eyes. Overall, he looked tired and worn. Ruling a school that hates your gut does that to people, she supposed.

"And, pray tell, how would I know anything about Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley?", he asked slowly in his silky voice as if she were stupid.

Didn't everyone in here know? But maybe they were really not here anymore; she had no way of knowing what they did to them afterwards. She hadn't really considered that option.

"I... Well I supposed they were still here, but maybe they were moved somewhere else... I have no idea what happened to them since we were separated...", she told him and he watched her closely.

"Were you arrested together? When? Speak clearly!", he barked and she flinched - it was like she were back in his classroom and was too slow to answer a question. She tried to tell him as quickly and precisely as she could.

"Yes, Lucius Malfoy brought us here after the Snatchers discovered our hiding place, then we were taken by the guards into different cells. I don't know when it was, maybe a week ago...? It was March 13th."

He appeared to be deep in thoughts, considering what she said to him. She waited patiently till he noticed her again.

"As I said, I don't know anything about the two idiots. I did not see them here."

Was he speaking the truth? They had to be moved then, someone as close to Voldemort as Snape would surely been told otherwise... But she still had to know about them!

"Sir, could you... Ehm, would you maybe try to find out something, please? And tell me?", she asked him, unsure if she did not overreach herself. He was not her spy or owl to be send out to give and receive messages from her friends...

"I suppose that could be managed. I will let you know as soon as I can.", he promised and she felt her heart skip a beat. He would do it! He would help her! And he did not even want anything in exchange! It was the best news she heard in a week.

"But you think they are alive, don't you, sir? They have to be!", she said as much for herself as for him. She would certainly feel it if they died, they were her best friends! He could at least confirm that!

"Yes, I actually believe they are - the Dark Lord would surely spread that information widely as it could only help his cause. But it doesn't mean that it will not happen in the immediate future."

Good. It may not last, but it was the present that mattered the most now... She could work with that - the important thing was that there was still someone and something to fight for!

She was suddenly roused from her thought by his urgent whisper.

"Miss Granger, I am very sorry for what's about to happen.", he said quickly and quietly and she had no idea what he meant by it until he neared to her with a few fast steps and grabbed her by the wrists to lift her off the bed and turn her to face the wall.

"W-what are you doing, professor? What happened?" Were they going somewhere? But it would be enough to simply tell her! He never answered. Instead she was pushed rather roughly off the mattress and pressed against the wall with her front as he still clutched her wrists tightly behind her back, binding her effectively with his big warm hand at the very same spot the Pig raped her a few days ago. She saw and felt him putting down his pants. No! Panic hit her with a force that nearly knocked her off her feet. He is going to rape her!

"No! No, please, don't! You can't!", she pleaded but he did not heed her. He was her professor, for heaven's sake!

She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he was way stronger and bigger than she was and Hermione only ended up pressed painfully against the wall as her wrists were squeezed forcefully. She kept her legs tightly together even as she struggled to breathe under his weight, her face, breasts and belly scratched by the rough stone.

He buried his head in her hair - was he sniffling her?! Ugh! Like a dog! A horny dog! There was something hot, big and hard pressing against her thighs. He groaned into her ear like an animal and she couldn't believe that person really was her former Potion professor - he acted exactly as the Pig would!

He bumped into her with his hips and that hot disgusting thing got in between her legs, no matter how tightly she squeezed them together. Then he pushed his hand in between her and the wall and pulled her butt to him, bending her. Her whole upper body scraped down against the sharp stones and she screamed in pain. She tried to break free again, but he was holding her too tightly, his hands bruising her flesh as he panted heavily into her ear like an animal.

His hand slid down her belly and kneaded her crotch - Snape was touching her there! It made her feel sick. She still didn't quite understand what was happening - one minute they are talking rationally, he behaves as he always did to her, and the next minute he goes mad with no reason at all, acting like a rabid dog, groping her and obviously about to rape her! It was as if he were under some sort of spell or potion!

"Professor, no! You can't! You are not like that!", she tried to remind him who he used to be, hoping it would pull him out of this fit of violence and lust.

He answered by thrusting that big warm thing inside of her with one mighty push that made her scream in pain.

"NO!", she screamed and jerked away with all her strength, scratching herself again - she managed to move a few inches before she was pulled back to him harshly.

He grabbed her with force - she would never guess he was that strong - and pressed her against him tightly while he moved quickly and determinedly inside her, making her scream in pain with each thrust. Her arms were twisted and the blood stopped circulating in them long ago - even a small twitch of his hand would suffice to dislocate both her shoulders, the joints were strained to their limits. She couldn't move at all and every impact of his hips sent a wave of pain through her whole body. She felt totally helpless - he did not even need magic to overcome her so easily!

She had no strength to keep fighting him, her whole body hurt trembled with exertion and she could hardly even breathe under his pressure. Hermione felt tears pour down her face and weak sobs escaped her as she shut her eyes forcefully - it had to end one time.

He was panting and moaning behind her, thrusting even faster. Finally, he groaned loudly and she felt him hit her butt one last time, shooting the warm disgusting slime inside her, that thing of his pulsing and twitching as it emptied its content.

Her stomach turned - Snape just... He just... Ugh!

After a while he suddenly let her go and she slid down along the wall, not expecting to be released and her legs too weak to support her. She scraped and hit her knees, but that was the least of her worries now.

She kneeled and sobbed, tried to breath deeper - her head swam and she was close to hyperventilating, the lack of oxygen affecting her vision. Still, she could hear someone clapping and cheering - was it some kind of hallucination? Or did Snape just celebrate his "performance"? The sound changed suddenly into a painful scream that roused her from the shock partly and she tried to focus on Snape.

He was just putting his wand down from pointing it somewhere behind him - did he just curse the laughing person? Or was it him? Now he stood a few steps away, staring at her as if he had never seen her before, his face frozen and eyes unblinking. His pants were down around his ankles and she could see a bit of his bare legs - that thing was fortunately hidden from her by his robes.

Then he moved, slowly this time, and pulled out his wand once more, pointing it at her and about to move it sideways across her head.

"No, don't.", she told him. He was NOT Obliviating her - she recognized the gesture only too well. She WILL remember what he did.

Surprisingly, he stopped. His wand halted in the air and after a while he lowered it completely before he put it back into the wand holder he carried in his sleeve.

"Can I-" he started hesitantly, but she did not want to listen to him. She did not want his "help". She did not want to hear his voice ever again in her life.

"No. Go away. Let me alone.", that was all she wanted now. Him to be away. Gone. Dead.

Again, he obeyed. Why couldn't do that sooner?!

She watched him dress himself quickly and cast one last glance at her before he left. He watched her for a second - she did not know or care why - and then lowered his eyes and swiftly left her, closing the door behind him - and why wouldn't he? He got what he wanted...

* * *

She sat there unmoving for an eternity, her brain slowly processing what had just happened. Her sobs broke free in full and her tremors shook her whole body. She hugged tightly her bruised and scratched chest and started rocking herself.

Her former professor just used her like a common whore! Like a thing to be taken and then discarded!

And it hurt - not only her body, but her mind. Her brain struggled to accept that the man she had known for several years just committed something so abhorrent. Sure, he was mean, bad tempered, ruthless and could say something really cruel on occasions, but she had never seen him touch a student physically. Nor anyone else at that. But this man who just raped her was not a professor - he was a Death Eater at his most typical. The whole school persona was just an act played to keep his job. He never really cared for anyone - simply acted that way long enough to get what he wanted. How stupid she was to think that he was helping her!

She closed her swollen eyes and saw everything that happened again. 'Miss Granger, I am sorry for what's about to happen.' She laughed hysterically. I sorry to rape you! Really? Did he have some button to switch to the Death Eater mode? Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? That was exactly how she always thought the man behaved. But this was not some stupid fiction book!

She relived once more how he grabbed her and pushed to the wall - the very same spot the Pig used. And the way he undressed and groaned against her...

This was just too familiar! The way he held her to him was simply too intimate and confident for it to be done for the first time. And then the sound of his pants and belt hitting the floor - exactly the same sound that haunted her in her nightmares - and everything clicked together in her head. Snape did not only act as the Pig. Snape WAS The Pig!

Of course - no one else could have sex with her there, Voldemort said so before the Bonding - it was done for fidelity sake, so she (not he, certainly) would feel the consequences if she was not Bound to HIM! And that was why he was feeding and healing her - so his toy wouldn't die before being used properly! That could get him in trouble with his Master, he was supposed to get her pregnant with his little baby Death Eaters!

What an idiot she was! How didn't she see it before?! She got up and looked around - the window! How charming!

She took the heavy plate with all the perfectly stored dishes and threw it against the window. Food spilled everywhere and she kicked at it crazily, yelling at herself.

"Snape is the Pig! Snape has always been the Pig!", she screamed over and over.

She pulled the diary and the cloak out from under the bed and tore both to pieces with her bare hands with a force she didn't know she possessed. She took the bottle with the rest of the Bruise salve and threw it against the wall where she was used a few hours ago by that Pig of a professor.

She bent down to tear the cover of the diary too and felt the white slime ooze from her, pouring down her thighs. Her stomach turned violently and she hardly made it to the hole in the floor, retching and coughing. Then she tried to scrape the whitish dirt out of her legs with her fingers - after a time all she could see was her own blood and she stopped. Looking at her bloodied skin, she felt utterly exhausted and could do nothing else but sit there leaning against the cold stone.

She cut her foot by one of the glass shards from the jar, she observed idly and watched the blood form a puddle by her heel. It looked beautiful in a way... It didn't even really hurt - not after all the pain she went through that night...

The puddle of blood got crooked and looked oddly like a lightning bolt. The same shape Harry had on his forehead. Harry! The boys were most likely dead already - and Snape knew! He just told her what she wanted to hear! He lied to her! And she even felt grateful to him. What a cow she was!

She felt suddenly so empty inside. If the boys were dead, there was nothing to fight for... Her parents did not remember her, they would not miss her. And with Harry dead, the Dark Lord would prevail. And Ron... She couldn't even think about Ron.

She hugged her knees and cried. If only she would bleed out, pass away and never wake up... But that did not seem to likely, the wound on her foot stopped bleeding about an hour ago. Her eyes caught the glittering shards scattered around the cell. Maybe she could make a new one. Maybe she could escape this way...

She came to a halt. This really seemed to be the best solution... She won't be used any longer - she was only helping Voldemort now by being alive. And Snape. Snape the Pig won't be happy if she ends this. He won't have anyone to rape, if she is dead. Maybe he will even get in trouble for it... This was the only way she could get back to him for what he did to her...

She slowly leaned forward and took one of the bigger shards covered by the Salve and cleaned it. It twinkled in the dim light of, sunset that emanated from the dirty window. A day has passed already...

She watched the shard for hours, considering everything - her life, her options, Snape. And her thoughts concentrated on the shard in her hand - that was the best solution. It was all just a big riddle!

She turned her bruised hand and watched the blue veins on her pale wrist. They entwined like thin blue snakes... Snakes. The mocking laughter, clapping and cheering from the previous day echoed in her head again.

She grabbed the shard forcefully and cut at the snakes once, then twice, thrice... Till she lost count and her vision started to blacken, making her close her heavy lids. Finally, there was no pain and her mind went blank.

* * *

 _The next one goes to Severus again and will be up in a few days._

 _Let me know what you think, please!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Many thanks to all of you for your feedback and especially to **marianna79** for pointing out an important mistake in the previous chapter to me! The second half of the chapter has been modified and corrected.  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 13

He landed by the Apparition Point just behind the Hogwarts' gates and wards and fell to his knees, his hands along his body. He opened his mouth and yelled inarticulately into the dark sky - it sounded as if a wounded animal was roaring at the moon in its pain.

This was not supposed to happen. This should have never happened! What a monster could ever even attempt that?

His soul was so cold, so frozen, unfeeling, dark, tortured and dirty for so many years and then she appeared! She melted some of the ice with her heat, blunted some of the sharpness with her soft eyes, eased the pain with her peace and he couldn't get enough of it! Enough of her warmth! He wanted more and more, not caring she was unwilling to give. And now he stained her purity with his filth, infected her with his cold and stole that softness from her eyes. He took her virginity, but he couldn't stop at that - he spoiled her, destroyed her innocence and brought that dead look into her beautiful eyes. All with his uncaring selfishness, bastard!

Her grabbed his wand and started firing curse after a curse at everything around him - the trees fell, the ground shook, the gates broke off their hinges. Splinters, stones and soil were thrown into the air and yards away, surrounding the magic hurricane.

It took hours for him to finally tire himself and release some of the pressure and guilt that pushed and squeezed at his heart and chest. He sat in the middle of the doom he inflicted on the place and did something that he didn't - and couldn't - do for years. He cried.

He eyed the wand in his hand - one simple spell and she would be free. One spell and he won't touch her ever again. One spell and his torn soul will stop hurting... Except he can't. He closed his eyes forcefully. She would be still in prison. And she needed him to get out, even if she did not want to have anything to do with him. And now he knew that the fucking Potter brat was imprisoned too and he promised...

He only needed to set them both free. And give Potter the "message" from Dumbledore. Then the spell. The spell could wait that long. Or a potion, it would be nice to use a potion... Potions always worked for him, potions could never betray his trust. There were several that would be just perfect for him. He lifted his heavy feet from the ground and crossed the hole that used to be school gates. He will tell Hagrid to fix it later. Now he had to go brewing. The potion...

* * *

Several hours later there were ten bottles of four different poisons and he stored them carefully in various places that her frequented often, so they would be easily accessible. Two of them in his pockets - he did not plan to live a second longer than he had to. He really deserved to die on the spot for what he did... But he needed to atone first. This would be too cowardly and easy for him now. He needed to try to fix what happened before he could escape it.

He held the black stone in his hand - he hardly ever put it down since he acquired it - it was beating fast. Very fast. And it was no wonder - the girl was traumatized and stressed.

A new day started, but it did so without him - all he could do was sit in his locked office, squeeze the stone and relive the events in the cell. Their short talk, the way she pleaded with him, her body against his and then the eyes. The eyes... Severus couldn't describe what changed about them, but he could tell it was a lot - he betrayed her, broke her, hurt her. He raped her. It was like the eyes belonged to someone else entirely. It was like looking into a mirror into his own black orbs that were etched into her face. Not her. Not Hermione...

The beating of the stone slowed down - maybe she managed to fall asleep finally. That would be good at least... He tightened his fingers around it and sighed in relief. The stone was pulsing very slowly now. Too slowly. He sat straight in his chair and focused on the time in between the beats - it was more than two seconds now. It never happened before. Something was going on. A horrible foreboding pressed at his chest - the same feeling that made him go and look for Dumbledore the night he returned with Potter from who-knows-where during the Death Eater invasion.

He did not even bother to grab his robes or mask - he simply took his wand in his right hand and squeezed the stone with his left and ran. He didn't think he ever ran so fast in his life but still - by the time he was beyond the Apparition wards, the stone was hardly beating at all. The girl was dying! He held the stone so tightly that one of its sharp sides cut through his skin and his palm began bleeding, blood pouring down his fingers. He did not even notice that, concentrating fully on running and the pulses. They never came. Her heart stopped! No!

He flew down the corridors to the cells, never pausing at the guards and barely remembering to open the door before hitting it in his hurry.

The cell was a mess. The floor was covered with torn black pieces of cloth, paper, scattered food and glass shards! And she was lying by one of the walls in a pool of blood, clutching one of the shards in her hand. No! NO!

He threw himself by her side and dropping the stone, he grabbed her sliced wrist in his hand and squeezed it firmly to stop the blood from escaping her system any further. He pulled her head from the hard floor into his lap and started casting the diagnostic charms. It turned out blank - she was dead.

"No, you can't go! Hermione! HERMIONE!", he yelled her name and wished it was him lying there instead of her.

He would much rather die than live through something like this again... It happened because of him! He killed her! Same as he killed Lily all those years ago.

"Hermione, don't go, please..." he pleaded again and squeezed her hand with all his strength - suddenly he felt an odd electricity-like jolt go through his palm and fingers that were clutching her wrist. A second later, the stone on the floor rattled weakly against the floor. The stone! Her heart was beating again! It was not too late!

He took out his wand once more with a shaking hand and got to work quickly. First he slowly unclasped her wrist, revealing one cut after another, sealing each one as well as he could before he released the pressure on the next. There were so many of them; she was obviously very determined about this.

When the cuts were healed, he took the Blood Replenisher out of his pocket and poured it down her throat, careful not to spill a single drop of it. He closed her mouth and waited - prayed! - for her to swallow. She did, after a few seconds, coughing slightly, and Severus felt a wide grin spread over his face. It worked! He did it! He saved her and she will live! This was NOT like what happened 16 years ago!

He collected her body tenderly from the floor and carried it onto the mattress, putting her down although he did not want to let go of her. The jug with water got overturned, so he corrected that and poured a cup for her when it refilled. Bringing it to her mouth, he made her swallow a few gulps - she needed liquids for the potion to replace the lost blood.

There was a lot to replace, he surmised as he looked around - the floor was one big pool of it. His heart clenched. This was his fault. He made her do this... What was he doing?! He shook his head to rouse himself. This was not the time for self-pity - she was not alright yet! He was being selfish again, brat! Quickly he repeated the diagnostic charms; this time they showed him what - else! - was wrong with her.

There was another cut on her foot and he sealed it immediately. And new scratches appeared on her - her thighs were all bloody from being torn by her nails again... He forgot to wash her, that's when and why she kept doing that! She was certainly disgusted with his touch and tried to erase it somehow when she could not take a shower. He was so careless!

Angry at himself again, he washed her by a spell - it was beneficial for him as well as he did no longer have to watch her covered in her own blood and he felt better immediately.

Pulling out the Murtlap Essence from his robes, he noticed her eyes on him - what a déjà vu! And he was happy. Actually happy! After all this time, it was this "small" thing that made him feel just perfect about his existence! She was conscious! She will be well again!

Her eyes were unfocused and foggy, but she woke up - much sooner than he thought possible. She looked slowly around herself and at him and her look cleared at once.

Without any warning at all she launched herself sideways, making him move away from her by instinct. Then he saw her taking hold of another big glass shard and instantly raised his hand in surrender - he is NOT going to fight her. Not again.

But she never even pointed it against him; Hermione wasted no time in bringing it over her freshly healed wrist and sliced hard on it. She nearly managed to do it once more before he hurled himself in her direction and grabbed her hands to stop her from completing it.

Panicked over her behavior he squeezed her left wrist again to stop the bleeding and her right to make her drop the shard. In the next second he had dodge to avoid being hit by her head as she bend it fast to bite - not him to let her go as he thought first, but her own hand, just bellow his fingers.

Not knowing what else to do, he decided to move her hands out of her reach and twisted them behind her back, turning her to face the wall so he could better hold her.

Her inarticulated gasps and humpfs turned into words now when she was immobilized and disabled.

"No! Let me go! You are the pig! You are the pig! Don't touch me! Go away! You are the pig!", she kept screaming at him and he felt his chest constrict anew - she went crazy.

Her suicidal acts were reasonable in a way - the motivation was clear for him to see - but now she was acting like Bellatrix was on a bad day and her words did not make any sense. He was a human, for Merlin's sake! A monster, true, but still in a human shape for all to see! She was in some kind of a fit obviously. Only yesterday the girl acted so rationally!

"Miss Granger!", he called her name, hoping it would bring her back to her senses. It didn't and he had to pull her backwards when she tried to hit her own head against the wall.

"Miss Granger, stop this nonsense this instant!", he ordered but could only watch drops of her precious blood escaping his hand as she struggled to free herself.

When did she became this strong? He was panting by now from the effort it took him to hold her and he was NOT the one who was lying dead on the floor only a few minutes ago! Was it the madness that was powering her? But she needed to calm down as soon as possible so he could heal her!

"Let me go, pig! Get that filthy hands off me! You are-" she did not get any further - seeing no other option he pushed her bodily face-down onto the mattress and held her with his own weight pinned to it till he managed to get out his wand to immobilize her. Not partly as he did so far, but the Petrificus that enabled her only to breathe and blink her eyes. He had to hurry!

He lifted his other hand off her wrist carefully and sealed the new wound. After inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times to calm down as much as to rest a bit, he gently turned her around to face him. Her breath came out in quick angry puffs and she eyed him with hatred and disgust so deep that it made even him pause for a second. But his hurt emotions were not what mattered now. His priority was her health - both physical and mental. Although the second seemed to be the bigger issue, he started to solve the first simply because it was easier and gave him time to decide what the hell he was supposed to do next.

Taking the Murtlap Essence again, he tore at his shirt - he really should have taken some gauze this time - and healed her numerous cuts, beginning with those on her belly, then her thighs and lastly her scraped chest and face. The face was the hardest this time - the dead furious eyes were constantly drawing his attention and he had no idea how to get through to her. When he was finished - she could use some of the Bruise Salve that was smeared all over the cell, but it was contaminated now, making it impossible - he lowered his wand and sat by her side tiredly, simply watching her.

He had no idea where to begin - she was probably not going to listen or understand anyway. Deciding to test that, he called her by her name again and watched her closely for any reaction.

"Miss Granger? Do you hear me?", he called softly, but she did not seem to register that.

"Miss Granger, I need you to listen to me for a while." Nothing.

"Hermione?", she shot her eyes at him immediately, narrowing them furiously. Well, that was a start! She still knew her name at least!

"Miss Granger, I hate forcing you into this, but it is crucial for us to talk. Or me to talk first till you are reasonable enough to be released from the curse.", she eyed him hatefully not giving him any clue if she understood what he was saying.

"Miss Granger, please...", he sighed wearily and rubbed his face with his hand.

She blinked a few times and her eyes changed in their stare a bit - finally he could see a tiny bit of a different emotion there. Curiosity - that was something to bet on with her! Now that she was listening, he decided to start with the obvious and say what had to be said.

"I am aware that my actions during our last meeting are unforgiveable - I lost control over myself. For all they are worth, I offer my apologies again and promise that it won't be ever repeated."

She snorted at that, the derisive sound so much in discrepancy with her elegant features that it sounded quite funny. She did not believe him, but she was communicating - that was a big step forward!

"Indeed, you are right. But I still can promise you to never act like that - or in any physically violent way - when I lose control in the future.", he corrected his oath.

She did not make a sound this time and he hoped that it meant that she accepted it. Her breathing evened out a bit.

"I really don't appreciate seeing you bound, Miss Granger. I am willing to cancel the spell on the condition that you promise to discontinue hurting yourself. Blink twice if you agree."

It took a while, but finally, the two blinks came ad he had to suppress a smile. They were getting somewhere!

Very slowly and cautiously Snape lifted his wand and whispered "Finite Incantatem". And very nearly hexed her again, startled by her sudden move as she immediately scurried as far away from him as she possibly could in the small cell and curled into herself in the opposite corner, hiding behind her arms and legs. He still did not understand how she got better so quickly!

They watched each other in silence for a few moments - fortunately, she seemed to keep her promise and did not attempt to hurt herself again, making him lower his wand, although he was still on alert.

"We need to talk.", he repeated and she answered after a while by a bout of deranged laughter.

* * *

Sorry for the cliffhanger!

I hope the next chapter will be up in a few days again, it is probably going to be the rest of Severus's point of view - the story will move forward a bit once more.

Thank you so much for your reviews!


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

The darkness moved and her body was floating. There was a horrible taste in her mouth - nearly like some potion residue. That was not nice. Dying should not be accompanied by bad tastes, should it?

Probably not, as clear fresh water poured down her throat to wash it out. Good. That would do.

Nothing was hurting her now - she felt good even. This was really worth it.

Gentle fingers were touching her skin and someone washed her with a spell. Do they use spells in Heaven too? Not that she was too religious to know...

Wait. There was someone here with her! This was not right!

She opened her eyes. Everything was rather hazy, but she still could make out the dark figure kneeling by her side. A Death Eater! Snape! Snape was here with her!

She did not die; no Snapes ever could go to Heaven. Snape the Pig managed to mess up with her plan and brought her back to this hellhole of a place! Now he was watching her with a strange expression, probably waiting for what she would do. She knew what she would do!

She wasted no time in searching for what she needed - another glass shard. One of them was sparkling just next to Snape's leg and she moved quickly to take it before he could stop her.

Managing to startle him, he even moved away from her - good job, Hermione!, she told herself and quickly sliced at her freshly healed wrist. He would NOT win this!

But he was there again in a second, squeezing her wrists painfully and making her drop the glass. Did he like hurting her so much even now? No! She needed to finish this!

Now the only thing that she could use were her teeth - if she just managed to bite thought the skin, it may just be enough! She tried that quickly, selecting the same hand in the hopes he would not be able to stop the blood pouring from two separate wounds with one hand.

She never managed to reach the place she had chosen as her arms were twisted painfully and she was turned to face the wall, her hands behind her back. He was so damned strong! And he was touching her! That disgusting Pig!

"No! Let me go! You are the Pig! You are the Pig! Don't touch me! Go away! You are the Pig!", she screamed at him to make him let go off her - how dare he touch her after all he did to her?! He was hurting her again!

"Miss Granger!", he called her name. He dares to call her by her name now? 'Miss Granger!' Like they were in the classroom again and she did not behave herself! That revolting bastard!

He won't get her again. WON'T! Wasting no time, she decided to do what she could, trying to hurt her head, as it was the only part of her that she still could control, at least partly. But again, her attempt was thwarted as he pulled her closer to him, so she could not reach the wall anymore. He was panting now behind her and the sound made her nauseous.

"Miss Granger, stop this nonsense this instant!", he yelled at her and she got angry - NONSENSE?! This is the only way to get rid of you, Pig!

Summoning all her strength to her, she tried to wrestle out of his grasp, his disgusting panting and hands all over her made her even more determined in her efforts.

"Let me go, Pig! Get that filthy hands off me! You are-", but she never finished telling him exactly how repugnant he was as he pushed her bodily to the mattress, burying her face into it and immobilizing her completely with his weight.

No. NO! He was going to rape her again! She failed this! She was too weak, too feeble. He won and would get what he wanted once more!

He Petrified her then - of course, he would need to have his hands free for this, Pig! And he even stopped to seal her wrist. If only he would forget about that and got to do it finally! Maybe she would not even last till he was finished with her and everything would be fine again!

She could hear him breathe heavily; so excited already, you pervert? He obviously liked having to fight for it! She waited for him to push that thing into her and squeezed her eyes, forcing herself not to cry; she won't let him see how much he is hurting her, she just won't give him the satisfaction!

And that was something he evidently wanted to have, as he turned her around to see her face. Like to gloat, Pig? She thought angrily since that was the only thing she could do: thinking, blinking and breathing.

But he never got to it, instead choosing to prolong her suffering by playing the "good Death Eater" and healing her scratches. As if she cared about those! What a stupid gesture! He even tore his shirt again because of this, that wretch!

And then he was done with that and sat by her side, simply staring at her and obviously deep in thoughts. No inspiration for this rape? Or did he just want to ogle her naked body for some more minutes to ready himself?

"Miss Granger? Do you hear me?", he called her again. What? Suddenly feel like having a conversation, Pig?

"Miss Granger, I need you to listen to me for a while.", he repeated. And what else she could do?! It was not like she was able leave the cell and shut the door behind her with a bang!

"Hermione?" What?! He never called her by her given name before! She shot her eyes at him angrily. What a gall this Pig of a man had!

"Miss Granger, I hate forcing you into this," HE MUST BE JOKING!, "but it is crucial for us to talk. Or me to talk first till you are reasonable enough to be released from the curse.", as if he would actually do it! And what could I do to refuse, hmpf? Stare you into oblivion?

"Miss Granger, please...", he said wearily and rubbed his hand tiredly over his face. He really looked unhappy - what about, for Merlin's sake? He had her exactly where he wanted to have her. Bound, helpless, ready to be raped. So why did he appear to be so miserable?

"I am aware that my actions during our last meeting are unforgivable - I lost control over myself. For all they are worth, I offer my apologies again and promise that it won't be ever repeated.", he told her and she would laugh if she could - what a joke! Normal people don't rape anyone they meet because they "lose control", right? What a liar he was, she thought and snorted to let him know what she thought of his apology.

"Indeed, you are right. But I still can promise you to never act like that - or in any physically violent way - when I lose control in the future.", he assured her again and she gave up at any attempt to disagree with him this time.

"I really don't appreciate seeing you bound, Miss Granger. I am willing to cancel the spell on the condition that you promise to discontinue hurting yourself. Blink twice if you agree.", he proclaimed. Now he was talking some sense! If she is free from the curse, she could actually do something. Like knocking him unconscious with something when the opportunity presents itself, taking his wand and fleeing the cell!

That was a plan! It would simply suffice to give him a false sense of security and then she would surprise him. She blinked twice and hoped he would really release her.

He did, although hesitantly, and she wasted no time to get away from him as far as she could; just in case he made up him mind - or "lost control", how he phrased it - and decided to rape her again with no warning at all. She hid herself behind her hands and legs as much as she could, so hopefully her naked body would not tempt him so much, and waited for him to say what he wanted to say. And it was worth it; he was lowering his wand already, his guard down a bit, she thought triumphantly.

"We need to talk.", he said and she could not help but burst into loud laughter - he sounded exactly like her father did when he walked in on her while she was stealing cookies in the kitchen as a small child.

He raised his eyebrows and it looked so funny on his face that she laughed even harder - the man was simply impossible. She nearly expected him to slap her over the fingers! But he was essentially right, she had to admit. They needed to talk - or him to answer her questions at the very least, though he could not be trusted in the slightest. It would still lull him into not paying so much attention to his wand and the heavy metal food plate by her leg...

"Yes, we do. More talking and less raping, if you would. Feel free to start.", she finally told him and waited, half-expecting to get punished for her insolence. But he never even raised his voice...

"Well, I will, if you wish so. First, I want you to know I was forced into this as much as you were.", he said, obviously joking again. Did the man not notice she was not buying this at all? She only laughed again as there was no proper answer to give anyway.

"I beg your pardon, but I don't see anything remotely funny about the situation we are in.", he snapped at her and she finally said what she thought of his assurances.

"Care to explain WHAT is so bad about it for you? That you don't have the time to stop by to rape me during your lunch break at school?", she asked him, making him angry, but she could not help herself any more - he was just so arrogant!

"Contrary to your belief, I don't particularly enjoy having to resort to violence, regardless of its kind.", Snape told her and she could not help but laugh again humorlessly. He simply won't stop playing!

"No one forced or provoked you yesterday and you seemed to enjoy it. A lot. You are a liar.", she told him what should be obvious to anyone, expect him.

"You don't understand the circumstances. I never lied to you, not yesterday and certainly not now.", he proclaimed and her patience with this theater snapped.

"I don't believe you. The boys are probably dead by now but you were just telling me what I wanted to hear. You keep raping and hurting me for the sheer fun of it and to make Voldemort happy. And you most certainly are not helping me, just making sure that I don't die and don't get you in trouble. Don't waste your effort, I am not that stupid and I won't be used any longer. I will find a way to finish this one day.", she informed him - he cannot stay there forever. As soon as he leaves, she will finish this. She will tell Voldemort he is a Snake's shit to his face the next time she sees him. That would be a nice way to go, wouldn't it? Even if she never swore, this would be totally worth it...

Snape rubbed his face once more and his hand disappeared in his pocked. She waited anxiously for him to pull something out and use it against her - another wand? A potion? But he never did. Instead he answered wearily.

"I understand that it might appear that way to you, but it is NOT true. I don't know anything about Potter and Weasley and I am constantly trying to find out how to get you all out of here.", and she could not help it and snorted again. There simply were no words to answer to such incredulous lies.

"So you tell me! Tell me what should I do to make you believe me and stop this suicidal nonsense!", he barked, angry at her.

"Simply do something to prove it! All you do is promise and rape me!", she yelled and flinched as he pulled out his wand - luckily and surprisingly pointing it at the door, not her, an whispering something.

"Should I take you by the hand and lead you out right now?! We both would be killed in a minute, if that's what you really want! The only thing I can do now is promise! I-", he was halted suddenly in his rant and fell silent. What? Out of rubbish to say?

"I can give you an Unbreakable Vow.", he said calmly and she could only gape at him. What?!

"I can give you an Unbreakable Vow, promising I will try to get you and the morons out of here. And that I will find a way to free you from the curse. And I can promise not to lie to you today. All that for a simple assurance that you won't attempt at your life again. If I break any of it, I die and you will be rid of me for good."

I know what an Unbreakable Vow is, she thought indignantly. But... Why? Why would he promise something like that? The Vow can't be faked as far as she knew... Unless he manages to put some loophole in it, it was very certainly something that would kill him if his intentions were what she thought they were...

A loophole...

"Not to lie to me today? Too eager to start again tomorrow?", she asked - he could fool her today and lie to her for the rest of her life!

"Miss Granger, forgive me, but I don't intend to die over a sarcastic quip or hyperbole about the weather. You have the whole tonight for your annoying questions.", he told her. Well, he had a point... She would have to use the time she had to ask what was really important then and see what happens next...

"Fine. But what if the curse can't be broken? You could be "trying" for the next 20 years.", she despaired aloud. She wouldn't be raped until he finds a way to release her!

"If there is one thing I have learned so far, it is the fact that everything can be broken. It is the keeping and mending that's really difficult. I suppose this won't take more than a year.", he said and touched something in his pocket again. Was it the extra wand or potion? Just waiting to kill her if her questions got too close to the point?

"And what if you get bored with me after a year and simply kill me to free yourself? The Vow won't stop you from doing that...", she accused him; maybe he will show her what is that thing he was hiding?

"That would solve your problem too, wouldn't it? But if you insist, I am willing to swear to never harm you intentionally in the future.", he promised, making her unable to form another objection to this. If he was really willing to promise all of that, maybe it was worth trying this... Even for the slight chance that the Vow will kill him today for lying about something insignificant.

"Alright, we have a deal. What do we do now?", she asked, unsure of what to do now - she had read books about the Vow and its effects, but never actually saw it being cast.

He slowly stood up as if it was costing him a lot to do it - was he hurt? She observed him approaching her on unsure feet. Now it would be a perfect time to strike... Except she did not dare. He was too strong and quick and if she tries anything now, he won't give her the Vow - it would be best to wait after that, when he is sworn not to hurt her, in case she does not succeed...

He extended his hand to her - it was all bloody, probably from stopping her bleeding - and she simply watched it, unwilling to touch him even if he were clean. Or as clean as he ever could be.

"Miss Granger, we need to be holding hands for this. It's unavoidable." he prodded her and she took his hand, casting her sentiments away. This was more important now. He pressed his wand to their joined hands, his bigger one enveloping hers easily.

"Now ask me if I will do what we have agreed on. You need to say my name and state the question very clearly and precisely.", he ordered and she focused to not give him any space to spoil this and use it against her. When she was ready, she began asking.

"Severus Snape, will you break the Bonding Curse which was created between you and me within precisely a year from this day?", it was so strange to use his whole name!

"I will.", he answered and a strand of golden light entwined through their clasped hands, startling her - it was like a flame was licking her hand without hurting her! But still, she could feel it seep into her skin. This was the real thing for sure!

He squeezed her hand forcefully and she realized she nearly let go of his hand in her reverie. Merlin! Focus, Hermione!

"Will you do everything in your power to release me, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley from being imprisoned by Voldemort?", she asked and waited.

He flinched for a reason, but answered "I will." Again the light strand! It was so beautiful!

"Will you tell me only the truth to answer my questions tonight?", she requested next.

"I will.", he promised and she exhaled in relief. He kept his word so far!

"Will you swear to not cause me intentionally any injury or harm - magical or other - that would threaten my life in the future?", she stated, careful not to ask him too much - surviving this would be just enough for her!

"I will." he swore and the fourth golden strand sealed their hands, shining brightly.

He released her hand and leaned against the wall; exactly where she needed to have him in case he did something improper and she would need to hit him with the plate before he answered her questions.

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 _I developed a bit of a review addiction, if that even exists... And if it didn't, it does now. So please, indulge me, if you have the time and will :-)_


	15. Chapter 15

_Thank you yet again for your support, guys! I never expected the story to be so successful - over 12 000 views now and 51 reviews! Even the anonymous ones are most welcome, although I am sorry I can't reply to them properly..._

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CHAPTER 15

 _"We need to talk.", he repeated and she answered after a while by a bout of deranged laughter._

He raised his eyebrows at her and considered Petrifying her again. He would if he didn't promise not to as long as she was not suicidal... She only laughed harder. Then she stopped suddenly.

"Yes, we do. More talking and less raping, if you would. Feel free to start.", she finally told him in a deadpan voice.

She was not sane, that was clear, but at least she was making SOME sense now...

"Well, I will, if you wish so. First, I want you to know I was forced into this as much as you were.", he told her seriously, but she only started laughing at him once more.

"I beg your pardon, but I don't see anything remotely funny about the situation we are in.", he interjected, getting slightly offended. No one laughed at him. Ever. No matter when or how. It was only the fact that it was her that kept him from cursing her.

"Care to explain WHAT is so bad about it for you? That you don't have the time to stop by to rape me during your lunch break at school?", she asked mockingly. That one hurt. Not only did she remind him that he used be her teacher, but she also suggested he liked hurting her.

"Contrary to your belief, I don't particularly enjoy having to resort to violence, regardless of its kind.", he assured her briskly. She cackled at that, but stopped quickly and suddenly again.

"No one forced or provoked you yesterday and you seemed to enjoy it. A lot. You are a liar.", she accused and eyed him seriously.

"You don't understand the circumstances. I never lied to you, not yesterday and certainly not now.", he defended himself even as he felt a pang of guilt gnaw at his insides. He DID enjoy the sex, although he always regretted it tenfolds afterwards.

"I don't believe you. The boys are probably dead by now but you were just telling me what I wanted to hear. You keep raping and hurting me for the sheer fun of it and to make Voldemort happy. And you most certainly are not helping me, just making sure that I don't die and don't get you in trouble. Don't waste your effort, I am not that stupid and I won't be used any longer. I will find a way to finish this one day.", she told him with no emotions at all, as if she was simply stating the facts.

And it scared him. Actually scared him! She was convinced of her truth and he knew that one day he might not be able to arrive in time. Even if he petrified her permanently, she could and would stop drinking and eating. And she would lose even the last bit of sanity that she possessed... He rubbed his forehead again - his head pounded. Was it because of this conversation? Or due to the lack of sleep? It certainly did not make it easier for him to come up with an idea for how to convince her to trust him... His hand slipped into his pocket and squeezed the stone out of a habit - it always calmed him down.

"I understand that it might appear that way to you, but it is NOT true. I don't know anything about Potter and Weasley and I am constantly trying to find out how to get you all out of here.", he told her honestly, but she only snorted that derisive laugh of hers. This was not going well.

"So you tell me! Tell me what should I do to make you believe me and stop this suicidal nonsense!", he barked at her angrily.

"Simply do something to prove it! All you do is promise and rape me!", she screamed at him loudly and he Silencioed the cell quickly even as he was fuming at her being so difficult.

"Should I take you by the hand and lead you out right now?! We both would be killed in a minute, if that's what you really want! The only thing I can do now is promise! I-", he stopped in his tracks suddenly. How did he not think of that sooner?

"I can give you an Unbreakable Vow.", he told her, calm and serious at once and her eyes widened. She stared at him, not answering. Maybe she did not understand what he was offering?

"I can give you an Unbreakable Vow, promising I will try to get you and the morons out of here. And that I will find a way to free you from the curse. And I can promise not to lie to you today. All that for a simple assurance that you won't attempt at your life again. If I break any of it, I die and you will be rid of me for good.", he explained and felt it was a fair offer.

There was a silence.

"Not to lie to me today? Too eager to start again tomorrow?", she spoke finally, still accusingly.

"Miss Granger, forgive me, but I don't intend to die over a sarcastic quip or hyperbole about the weather. You have the whole tonight for your annoying questions."

"Fine. But what if the curse can't be broken? You could be "trying" for the next 20 years.", she negotiated her point.

"If there is one thing I have learned so far, it is the fact that everything can be broken. It is the keeping and mending that's really difficult. I suppose this won't take more than a year.", he wondered aloud, being quite sure he won't live that long anyway. The touched the potion in his pocket as he was speaking...

She went thoughtful at that, considering his proposal. "And what if you get bored with me after a year and simply kill me to free yourself? The Vow won't stop you from doing that...", she asked and Severus was taken aback - the thought of harming her never even crossed his mind.

"That would solve your problem too, wouldn't it?", he joked lamely to gain some time to recover. "But if you insist, I am willing to swear to never harm you intentionally in the future.", he added for her sake, although it was needless - he would always rather kill himself than her.

"Alright, we have a deal. What do we do now?", she asked, unsure. She had likely never done this before.

He got up from his sitting position by the mattress and his vision swam a bit - he was really tired. Slowly, he reached her and kneeled to her in the corner she had chosen, offering her his hand. She did not move, only watched him nervously.

"Miss Granger, we need to be holding hands for this. It's unavoidable." he told her and she hesitantly took his hand. Hers was so small and cold that it made him want to take it into both of his to make it warmer, but he needed to point the wand to their clasped hands as there was no one else to do it for them.

"Now ask me if I will do what we have agreed on. You need to say my name and state the question very clearly and precisely.", he instructed her and noticed that her hand shook a bit.

It took a while before she spoke again, probably wondering how to phrase her requests.

"Severus Snape, will you break the Bonding Curse which was created between you and me within precisely a year from this day?"

That was acceptable, he thought and said "I will."

A golden strand of light entwined their clasped hands and her eyes widened in wonder while she nearly let go off his hand. He did not let her, holding her tightly. They were not done yet. After a while she composed herself and asked again.

"Will you do everything in your power to release me, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley from being imprisoned by Voldemort?"

He flinched slightly at her using the name, but answered promptly, "I will." Another golden strand appeared.

"Will you tell me only the truth to answer my questions tonight?", was her next question.

"I will.", he told her, fully aware that he would have to be most cautious for the rest of the day, watching his tongue closely.

"Will you swear to not cause me intentionally any injury or harm - magical or other - that would threaten my life in the future?", she stated finally.

"I will." he answered and the fourth strand wrapped around their hands.

He slowly let go off her hand and watched her stare at the still visible lines on her hand in wonder. Tiredly, he sat again, leaning against the wall not far away from her. She did not move to widen the gap and he hoped it meant that she finally trusted him a bit at least. And he waited - the questions were sure to come now.

"What happened to the boys?", she asked again. Merlin! The baboons again!

"As I told you, I have no idea.", he repeated. And did not die, not even under her close observation. She frowned, probably wishing it was the opposite.

"What kind of Boding Ritual did you use on me?", she requested next.

He sighed and tried to make his exhausted brain remember everything he knew.

"It's a modified form of an ancient marital bonding ritual, the Dark Lord taught us the incantation along with many other spells during one of our sessions for "the future use". As far as I know, in the form it was made into, it is necessary for the Bonder - me - to spill his or her blood as it needs to touch the Bonded's skin - you - and say the words "Semper Fidelis". It also needs to be sealed by intercourse. Contrary to the original spell, it does not require both sides to enter the Bond willingly and has slightly different properties. The most tangible consequences for us are that you cannot have sex with anyone but me till we find a way to break it. Unless you get pregnant, therefore fulfilling the aim of the Bond, it has to happen at least once in seven days, the Dark Lord is kind of obsessed by that number, so I guess it's his doing...", he trailed off.

She went silent, her face white.

"And if we don't...?", she did not finish, but he understood.

"Then you would die. Quickly and painlessly, as far as I know.", he answered. He could do nothing else to soften the facts.

"What? How do you know? How many girls have you had before?", she demanded angrily.

"None, I assure you. You are the first and hopefully the last that I was assigned. I know because of Goyle - the idiot raped Lestrange's girl by "accident". He did not even notice it until after he was finished, but the girl was dead immediately as he entered her. She did not suffer, as far as the Healer here knows. I heard him reporting that to the Dark Lord a few days back. And I suppose it would be the same if the second condition was broken.", he told her.

She appeared to be deep in thoughts again. There was a lot for her to consider, he guessed and waited for the next question.

"Why did you betray Dumbledore?", she asked finally the question that he was expecting from the very beginning.

"I didn't.", he told her simply and watched her mouth drop open.

"You killed him! I know that! How is it possible you are still alive? You tampered with the Vow!", her voice raised.

"No, that is not possible. Dumbledore was cursed - maybe you noticed his hand blacken? He was dying. And he forced me to promise to kill him when the time comes to spare Draco doing it and to fortify my position in the Dark Lord's eyes. He needed someone loyal to him to take care of the school after he is gone and to do what is necessary when the time comes. I was also charged by helping Potter with his mission - it was me who put the sword in the lake, so you could find it."

"YOU?! But why didn't you just give it to us? Why placing it on the bottom of a frozen lake?!", she asked, stunned.

"Do you think Potter would take it from me? Do you think he would just accept a gift from a man he saw kill Albus Dumbledore? I would probably end up cursed at the very least... And it worked, didn't it? Till you managed to lose the sword to Lucius Malfoy!"

She blushed a bit, silenced again.

"So you were on our side the whole time?", she asked hesitantly.

"I was helping you to succeed in your mission to defeat the Dark Lord, yes. I wish for the Order to win this war.", he proclaimed something he could be sure of.

"So why... Why were you doing that to me? Why did you hurt me so much?", she asked and made his chest constrict.

"I was ordered to by the Dark Lord and I could not afford to disobey. Even if I did, you would be likely just given to another Death Eater.", he answered, not mentioning his undeniable attraction to her. Luckily he promised to tell only the truth, not to answer fully to every question.

"But there was no one yesterday to witness. You could have just left me alone and go.", she objected.

He sighed. "We were ordered to... "do the deed" during each of our visits here. The guard was nearing to check on us, so it needed to be done in a hurry - we couldn't get caught chatting idly. Still, I apologize for my actions again, they were unnecessarily crude and mostly unintentional.", he did not expect her to forgive him, but still felt the need to say it.

She nodded, hugging her knees tightly to herself. Suddenly, she looked up with scared eyes.

"But that means that you will have to... That we will have to... Do it tonight too?", she asked quietly. He nodded and saw her start shivering anew.

"Isn't there a way around it? I mean how will they know if we really...? There was no one yesterday...", she seemed unable to find the words properly, likely from being afraid and nervous.

"The guards were ordered to check the girls after each visit - there is a spell that will show them. And there was someone yesterday, witnessing the whole act, so I guess they didn't feel like checking again. Especially as they were likely still... indisposed.", she watched him uncertainly, silently asking him to elaborate.

"I was... upset... when I was leaving your cell yesterday. And the guards got in the way. I don't think any of them would ever bother us again here when we are together." he assured her.

She nodded again and fell silent, probably not going to ask anything for the moment.

"I fully plan to limit our meetings to the pure minimum. If nothing extraordinary happens to require my presence or if I am not summoned and directly ordered to, I will see you next week, on the seventh day precisely.", he promised. "Is there something I should bring for you to make you more comfortable?"

"Clothes?", she asked, but he could only shake his head.

"I am afraid that would be too obvious - you would be the only one dressed in here. I cannot appear to care for you any more than it is absolutely necessary. Your decision to keep hiding the cloak was therefore very wise and much appreciated.", he hated to deny her anything, but it had to be done for now.

"Food?" she tried then, looking around herself at the mess.

"That could be managed.", he told her, happy for once that he forgot to leave the food here for her yesterday, as it would have got destroyed too. He heaved himself up and pulled out the plate from his pocket, enlarged it and put it next to her bed. Then he cleared the cell of the scattered food and cast Reparo on the diary and cloak. Severus then took both items and went to her, handling them to her, and waited if she would accept them again. She did, covering herself immediately with the cloak, and he felt relief flow though him. She knew everything now, was acting sane and even cooperating!

"Do you have any more questions?", he prompted her and she shook her head after a minute of deliberation.

"Not for now.", she answered and watched him standing there silently.

Their eyes met and he saw the worry and fear of what was about to come. He did not say a word, did not prod her, not wanting to stress her even more and push her into something she was not yet ready to consent to. He simply WON'T rape her again, the creepy noseless monster be damned. If they do it again, it will be on her terms, when and how she decides it to happen.

Which was likely never, judging by the fact she still sat in the corner curled into herself, not moving even after several minutes. He hoped she would make up her mind till the next week, so she would survive.

Praying he would be the only one punished for this, he said "Goodnight, Miss Granger.", to her and turned to leave.

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 _A "talking" chapter - I hope you don't mind too much, they simply needed to discuss things finally.  
_

 _Please review, if you can find the time and make my day happier!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Hello, guys! Thank you for being here and reading this!_

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CHAPTER 16

First things first, she thought and wasted no time to ask what was most important to her before he goes crazy again.

"What happened to the boys?", she needed to know.

"As I told you, I have no idea.", he told her. So he really did not know! How was that possible?! He looked very much alive still, so she decided to trust him for now and move to the next question.

"What kind of Boding Ritual did you use on me?", she asked and waited for him to tell her. Sighing tiredly again - what was wrong with him?! - he did.

"It's a modified form of an ancient marital bonding ritual, the Dark Lord taught us the incantation along with many other spells during one of our sessions for "the future use". As far as I know, in the form it was made into, it is necessary for the Bonder - me - to spill his or her blood as it needs to touch the Bonded's skin - you - and say the words "Semper Fidelis". It also needs to be sealed by intercourse. Contrary to the original spell, it does not require both sides to enter the Bond willingly and has slightly different properties. The most tangible consequences for us are that you cannot have sex with anyone but me till we find a way to break it. Unless you get pregnant, therefore fulfilling the aim of the Bond, it has to happen at least once in seven days, the Dark Lord is kind of obsessed by that number, so I guess it's his doing..."

No. NO! This could not be true! Marital ritual?! What a bad joke! She was NOT about to sleep with Snape every week! She would rather... What?

"And if we don't...?", she asked.

"Then you would die. Quickly and painlessly, as far as I know.", he answered. WHAT?! And he is saying that now? He is obviously well versed in this!

"What? How do you know? How many girls have you had before?", she nearly yelled at him.

"None, I assure you. You are the first and hopefully the last that I was assigned. I know because of Goyle - the idiot raped Lestrange's girl by "accident". He did not even notice it until after he was finished, but the girl was dead immediately as he entered her. She did not suffer, as far as the Healer here knows. I heard him reporting that to the Dark Lord a few days back. And I suppose it would be the same if the second condition was broken.", he informed her.

This was bad. Even if she manages to escape, she would die in a week for not doing it with him. Unless she kills him - she did not know for sure, but it just might work. If she finds it in herself to do it. She eyed the plate and his wand. But she still needed answers...

"Why did you betray Dumbledore?", she asked simply, even if she was not sure she wanted to hear him justifying that horrible deed.

"I didn't.", he answered. She looked at him quickly - that was a lie! But he was still breathing, watching her! Did it take time for the Vow to kill?

"You killed him! I know that! How is it possible you are still alive? You tampered with the Vow!", she couldn't hold back the exclamation, although she knew it was not true.

"No, that is not possible. Dumbledore was cursed - maybe you noticed his hand blacken? He was dying.", he claimed and she thought back to their last year at school... She DID notice the hand and the obviously worsened health of the Headmaster... It just never occurred to her that it could be fatal... But Snape continued in his explanation and she focused to listen to him.

"And he forced me to promise to kill him when the time comes to spare Draco doing it and to fortify my position in the Dark Lord's eyes. He needed someone loyal to him to take care of the school after he is gone and to do what is necessary when the time comes. I was also charged by helping Potter with his mission - it was me who put the sword in the lake, so you could find it."

"YOU?! But why didn't you just give it to us? Why placing it on the bottom of a frozen lake?!", she asked. This was NOT happening! This couldn't be! It could not possibly be him! But... But how else he would know about how they got the sword? They never told anyone...

"Do you think Potter would take it from me? Do you think he would just accept a gift from a man he saw kill Albus Dumbledore? I would probably end up cursed at the very least... And it worked, didn't it? Till you managed to lose the sword to Lucius Malfoy!", he told her and she had to admit he was right... But that meant... Oh my God!

She felt her face was getting hot and she was surely red to the roots of her hair. Oh my, they had it wrong the whole time! He was telling her the truth! He never betrayed the Order and no one knew! She could just stare ahead of her, still not sure of what to say next.

"So you were on our side the whole time?", she decided finally to make sure.

"I was helping you to succeed in your mission to defeat the Dark Lord, yes. I wish for the Order to win this war.", he said and her head swam. But why did he do all those things? Why did he keep raping her?

"So why... Why were you doing that to me? Why did you hurt me so much?", she asked, sounding desperate even to herself.

"I was ordered to by the Dark Lord and I could not afford to disobey. Even if I did, you would be likely just given to another Death Eater." Disobey! Loyal to Dumbledore but obeying Voldemort! What a paradox the man was!

"But there was no one yesterday to witness. You could have just left me alone and go.", she accused him.

"We were ordered to... "do the deed" during each of our visits here. The guard was nearing to check on us, so it needed to be done in a hurry - we couldn't get caught chatting idly. Still, I apologize for my actions again, they were unnecessarily crude and mostly unintentional.", Snape said and looked so tired and weary that she nearly believed he was really sorry for what he did, even though he did not explicitly proclaim it. Nearly.

Still, she nodded her understanding. It probably had to happen. Not with him, but with someone else, who would not be inclined to help her and the boys at all. But...

No. He was there now and he was forbidden to leave without raping her. No!

"But that means that you will have to... That we will have to... Do it tonight too?", she had to know. He nodded after a while, confirming her worries.

"Isn't there a way around it? I mean how will they know if we really...? There was no one yesterday...", she tried to reason with him. There had to be a way...

"The guards were ordered to check the girls after each visit - there is a spell that will show them. And there was someone yesterday, witnessing the whole act, so I guess they didn't feel like checking again. Especially as they were likely still... indisposed.", he answered. Indisposed? What does that mean?

"I was... upset... when I was leaving your cell yesterday. And the guards got in the way. I don't think any of them would ever bother us again here when we are together." he explained. So the cheering and screaming yesterday was from a guard... At least she was not imagining that.

"I fully plan to limit our meetings to the pure minimum. If nothing extraordinary happens to require my presence or if I am not summoned and directly ordered to, I will see you next week, on the seventh day precisely.", he told her and she could only accept that as a fact. There was no space for her to object as it was in her interest not to die... She will get out of here once! She just needed to be strong till it happens.

"Is there something I should bring for you to make you more comfortable?", he asked after a while.

"Clothes?", she tried, but he denied her.

"I am afraid that would be too obvious - you would be the only one dressed in here. I cannot appear to care for you any more than it is absolutely necessary. Your decision to keep hiding the cloak was therefore very wise and much appreciated." Was he actually thanking her? That was weird...

"Food?" she was her other shot. There was nothing left for her after yesterday...

"That could be managed.", he said and got up to pull out and unshrank another heavy plate, full of perfectly stored dishes with no doubt. Then he cleaned the cell with a spell and repaired the cloak and diary, handing it to her. She nearly smiled at him - she needed those if she was not going to go crazy here. Looking at the cover of the diary and its moving pictures, she was pulled out of her thoughts by him again.

"Do you have any more questions?", he prompted her and she could only shake her head. There was nothing else she could think of...

"Not for now.", she answered and watched him standing there silently. There was only one thing left now...

Their eyes met and her heart constricted. He was ordered to, but he had not moved yet. He did not even pull out his wand. He did nothing to force her. He was waiting for her to make the first move obviously...

She took regular breaths and tried to compose herself. She could do it. As long as he is not touching her too much, she could go there, close her eyes and think of England - a phrase from a Muggle book. Austen, perhaps? She was about to have sex with Severus Snape, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and her former teacher, and she was thinking of Muggle romance fiction! The diary was returned to her too late, obviously!

But then he simply turned and said "Goodnight, Miss Granger.", startling her completely.

"No, wait!", she called after him and he was stopped on the spot. Did he really decide to disobey and leave her alone? But that could get him killed! Or punished harshly at the very least. And out of Voldemort's favor for sure. Neither of them could afford that... So either he was stupid, uncaring or her really did not want to force her again...

With that in mind, she draped the cloak around herself tightly, took a deep breath and stood up. She reached the spot where it happened yesterday and put her hands on the wall, hoping he would get the message and begin without being told. She really couldn't bring herself to say it aloud...

It took a few seconds but finally she heard the familiar sound of his pants being pushed down and hit the floor, the belt making a loud clang as it collided with the stone. She closed her eyes firmly. She knew he could get violent under certain circumstances and had no idea what was setting him off... Except that during the worst cases she had struggled against him, trying to free herself. On the other hand, he was rather well behaved whenever she was immobilized, never hurting her much... Deciding to move as little as possible, she braced herself securely against the wall and fought against her fear as much as she could.

He then made a few steps towards her and she could feel him lifting the cloak and pushing it aside from her, brushing his fingers against her flesh lightly. Her stomach clenched and flashes of memories of him crushing her against exactly this part of the wall made her start to tremble. He had just cast the spell to make her wet down there when she could hold it no longer.

"No, stop!", the muffled words burst from her lips without her permission and she froze in anxiety - pleading had always made this worse before. Why couldn't she stay silent?! She was so weak!

But, surprisingly, he did stop this time, immediately making a step back from her. Hoping it meant she was allowed to move, she turned around in shame and watched the stone under her bare feet, her face so red she would swear it would shine if there was only a bit less light in the cell.

"I am sorry. I can't.", she tried to explain herself lamely and he nodded, moving to dress himself again. She still did not dare to look at him. There had to be a way!

"Don't people usually do it on the bed?", she asked before he could reach for his clothes fully. If they would do it there, it would not remind her of yesterday so much, maybe it would work... And she always heard the girls talking about sex being done in bed, so it was probably quite common and she was not asking something exotic of him.

"It could be managed, I suppose. Lie down, if you wish so - on your belly in case you don't want to see me during it.", he instructed and she obeyed, lying on her stomach and burying her face in her crossed arms and hair that spilled around it immediately.

She felt the mattress move as he joined her there, positioning himself in between her legs. She did not move; she did not know what to do anyway, even if she dared to, so she hoped he would take care of the rest.

He moved the cloak away from her legs and butt again and she felt him reaching in between the bed and her body to lift her bottom slightly off the mattress, pulling it to himself and his... his THAT... his warm naked skin pressed against hers. Don't flinch, Hermione, keep still and it will be alright, she tried to convince herself and squeezed her eyes shut again.

It did not take long and she felt the hard thing squeezing between her legs and slowly entering her, pushing itself in carefully. It did not hurt this time, but his breathing became labored and she did not want to listen to it. She did not want to even think of what was happening to her. She wanted to pretend this was not her and him doing it together.

She tried the England thing, but either she was not such a patriot she thought she was, or it simply was not working. Stonehenge was not such a big mystery to take her mind of being filled, stretched and slowly thrust into by her former professor so they both would live through the next week. If she makes it though, she would maybe return home one day...

Home. The big house by the park with the white door. The staircase and living room with the brown sofa, where her parents used to sit and watch the TV. Her room, lined with bookshelves, and her bed where she spent so many perfect hours and days curled with Crookshanks and a book on her lap...

"Are you alright, Miss Granger?", someone asked from a distance and she nodded. Yes, she was fine. She was home.

"Miss Granger.", that someone repeated. Why? She was not in a classroom to be called upon.

"Miss Granger, look at me!", a man demanded. If it would make him happy...

She opened her eyes, looked up from where she was resting on her arms and was met with the black eyes of professor Snape. Professor Snape! He was panting slightly and frowning at her.

"Do you want me to wash you with a spell?", he asked after a few seconds of staring at her.

And then it hit her - she had made it though! He was finished if he was speaking to her, checking on her probably in his way. She lowered her head back onto her crossed arms and nodded. Yes, she would very much like to get as clean as she ever could in here... In a second, she felt the spell wetly rub the sweat and other... substances... off her.

"Would you like to rest now? I can cast a Sleeping Charm to make it easier for you...", he trailed off, unsure... She would like to go to sleep. And dream of home... Preferably with him gone. But he could hardly do anything to her that he hadn't done already while she would be out... So she nodded again.

His soft "Goodnight" was the last thing she heard before she drifted off.

* * *

 _Severus cannont wait for you with his chapter, you can expect it in two days :-)_

 _By the way, my review addiction haven't been cured yet..._

 _Thank you!_


	17. Chapter 17

_A shorter chapter, hopefully not too disappointing..._

* * *

CHAPTER 17

 _Praying he would be the only one punished for this, he said "Goodnight, Miss Granger.", to her and turned to leave._

"No, wait!" she called urgently and he froze. What?!

He turned around slowly, just in time to see her getting up, the cloak still tightly draped around her shoulders. Captivated by her actions, he could only stare as she hesitantly reached the exact spot in the cell where he attacked her only a day ago and put her hands against the wall, mirroring the position she was forced into during all the rapes he made her suffer through so far. His breath hitched in his chest; the girl was much stronger than he ever was in his life... And she was doing this to save his ass!

It made him want to run and never return, to tear his feverishly beating hurting heart from his chest to kill it again and force it down the Dark Lords throat... If Dumbledore was right with his crazy theories, it might very well slay the monster on the spot.

But she would not survive that. She needed to be kept safe, protected. He needed to free her first before he does anything with that damned horrible painful thing in his chest. And he needed to play this perfectly, make the creature happy with him as much as it ever could be, so his plan could succeed. For that he would have to do it again... Now. Here.

Taking a deep breath to steady his shaky legs and hands, he tried to clear his mind, bracing himself to do this once more. She decided to let him. He had her permission. She wanted him to do it this time...

He unclasped his belt and let his trousers and underwear slide down his legs. Then he came closer to her and pulled the cloak aside from her beautiful legs and butt, her fingertips brushing against her velvety skin, revealing the lower part of her body and fighting himself not to stare for too long. She was simply perfect. And she wanted him to do it!

She was shaking under his hand, same as he was, although the reasons could differ. But there was no time to dwell on that. He cast the Lubricating spell. She wanted him!

"No, stop!" came a whisper from her and it was like a cold shower. He backed away from her - how did he misinterpret that?!

She hesitantly turned around and stared at her feet, red in the face. And he did not blame her; if his complexion was capable of that, he would wager he would blush too now.

"I am sorry. I can't," she explained. There was nothing to explain, though. How could he ever think she might actually allow him to fuck her while there was another option?!

Feeling more awkward than he had in years, he quickly made to dress himself to save at least some of his dignity, but she spoke again, startling him and making him reconsider.

"Don't people usually do it on the bed?" she asked and it took him some time to realize it was obviously a real question rather than a suggestion; she probably did not know much about that.

And neither did he, to be honest; most of his previous sex experiences came from his visits to various brothels where the Death Eater raids tended to end so often. He hardly ever was there twice with one girl and had no idea of what was perceived as normal or pleasing for them; all the women there were paid to enjoy his attention, or at least to pretend they did. He had no delusions in that respect, same as he never doubted none of them would ever consider him as a partner if money were not involved... But at least he knew how to fuck in a bed, if that was what she wanted.

"It could be managed, I suppose. Lie down, if you wish so - on your belly in case you don't want to see me during it," he told her and watched her as she obeyed, immediately laying herself on her stomach and hiding her face from view by her hands and hair. It hurt a bit but he truly could not blame her; her really was an ugly fucker...

But she still wanted him to do it.

She approached her and kneeled in between her lightly spread shapely legs, pulling the cloak away once more to reveal her perfect form, her butt and just a glimpse of her soft pussy, waiting for him. Wanting him.

He bent over her and pulled the beautiful body to himself, pressing her against his erect cock that ached to fulfill her wishes as much as it ached to fulfill her... His nose was invaded by the pure smell that infallibly surrounded her at all times and he could only hope he was not rushing this too much, as his dick began squeezing itself into her seemingly on its own will. It just needed to get there, inside of her, to connect them, to claim her, to make her his, as long as she would let him. And she wanted him to fuck her!

As soon as that thought crossed his mind again, his dick shot forward, thrusting itself fully into her. Merlin's fucking hairy balls! She was so good, so soft, so wet. And she wanted him.

But he must not hurt her. Not ever, not again. The effort of controlling himself enough, so he would not began hammering into her with all he had, made him sweat and pant after only a few thrusts. He trembled both from being tired and excited. She was so delightfully tight! All for him!

It took an embarrassingly short time - at least in his perception - for him to feel the pleasure becoming too much to handle, raising to erupt and make his vision blur for a while. He pushed himself fully into her once more and surrendered, letting the orgasm take him and shooting his cum as deep inside of her as he could reach. A groan escaped him, but he could not bring himself to care too much; he was so tired and felt so good at the moment...

The moment ended when he withdrew gently from her, taking care never to put any of his weight on her so he would not crush her, and she still didn't move. Not a bit, even after the few moments that he spent dressing himself again to not embarrass her by his nudity. She did not even appear to be crying; that could be both good or bad. It was possible she managed to cope with what was happening and simply accepted that, but maybe she was just bottling her emotions up once more only to let them explode when he was gone, forgetting their agreement. Worry bit at his gut. He needed to see her eyes...

"Are you alright, Miss Granger?" he tried to rouse her softly. After a while she nodded slightly. Good, she was communicating at least, although he still did not quite trust her assurance.

"Miss Granger," he tried to get her to raise her eyes to him by calling her. But she just ignored that.

"Miss Granger, look at me!" he barked to startle her and succeeded this time.

Severus was met with a pair of somewhat hazy but calm brown eyes and wasted no time to cast a wordless and wandless Legilimency on her. To no avail. The girl was Occluding him, her mind blank! Shit! Whoever taught her that?! And how would he know for sure now?

She LOOKED fine, she claimed to be fine, but he couldn't be sure and it gnawed at him horribly. If something happens, it will be his fault... But he could still try to make her calmer and more comfortable by providing a few spells that she would maybe approve of.

"Do you want me to wash you with a spell?" he offered and watched her nod perceptibly, even though her head rested on her arms and was surrounded by her curly hair again. He cast the spell, glad he wouldn't have to worry about her scratched thighs at the very least the next time he sees her.

"Would you like to rest now? I can cast a Sleeping Charm to make it easier for you..." he asked her and waited. Will she trust him enough to go to sleep voluntarily while he was still in her presence? There was another nod and he smiled lightly, whispering a soft "Goodnight" to her, although she would most likely not hear it.

Reaching over her body, he pulled the cloak back over her legs, so she would stay warm, and leaned against the wall, facing the mattress. He could not help himself and stared at her, observing and remembering every single detail of her body and face; she looked so at peace and beautiful, her soft features free of worries. There was a strand of her light brown hair that kept lifting with each of her exhales and he ordered his heavy hand to move it away, so it wouldn't tickle her.

They made it, he mussed tiredly and felt a soft wave of contentment loosen the tightness in his chest. She accepted him and now it looked she could deal with what was to come. She trusted him. He will not prove her wrong, ever, he swore to himself and watched her chest rise and fall, slowly and regularly. Rise and fall. Rise and fall...

* * *

 _The next one will belong to Hermione.  
_

 _Thank you very much for your support! I would stop (or slow down at the very least) writing this long ago, if it were not for you, guys :-)_


	18. Chapter 18

_Many big thanks and eternal glory to **Pirocantha** who condescended to become my beta reader and did a huge amount of work on this chapter!_

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CHAPTER 18

Hermione stirred in her bed, moving her head aside to find a more comfortable position. She rarely slept on her belly and now was reminded of the reasons for that - her jaw was sore from bearing the weight of her head, her arms were stiff from cushioning said jaw and her naked breasts were uncomfortably squeezed between her body and the mattress.

Moving her jaw carefully to relieve the tension, she slowly opened her eyes. Her breath then caught in her throat as she was met with the strangest of sights; next to her bed there was Snape, sitting with his arms folded across his chest and his head somewhat slumped, obviously asleep. His wand was nowhere to be seen, unfortunately. Probably stored in his holder. He was still smeared with blood; most likely hers from when he was saving her. Did he not have time to spell himself clean?

Maybe he was just too tired or unwell for that - at least yesterday he appeared so. She still did not know whether he was ill or injured. She took a while to observe him for any wounds but the only thing she could notice was a small gash just peeking at her from his half-clenched palm. But a small scratch wouldn't make a man fall asleep somewhere he did not intend to, would it? Of course, she heard the girls snickering about boys falling asleep immediately after sex, but somehow she did not think that was the cause with Snape.

Aside from her belief that the man never slept - the dark circles under his eyes and the pale, sickly colour of his skin certainly gave that impression! - there were other things that needed to be considered. Firstly, his reasons for sleeping over with her - or maybe he went away and then returned - and how to deal with that revelation. Frowning at his sleeping form, she recalled their meeting yesterday. Or was it their night together? It was hard to tell... Anyway, it seemed to work out - she had someone on her side who would try to free her, if she did not manage that herself, and the boys may not be beyond saving too. She had hope, finally. On the condition that she survived doing that with him every week or so. But she'd managed to find a way yesterday, hadn't she, she thought, rather proud of herself. Although, she really did not want to wonder too much about the event.

She glimpsed at the window above her head and judged it could be about nine or ten in the morning... Wasn't he supposed to be at school by this time? Should she wake him up somehow?

She decided to sit up and try, but she never even finished her movement, barely lifting herself on her hands, when there was a swirl of movement and a wand was pressed to her neck, stopping her efficiently in her effort. That was quick!

"Ehm... Good morning?" she tried hesitantly, not moving even an inch, and looked into his eyes for some kind of recognition; there was not even a trace of sleepiness in them, only alert suspicion. She was quite sure that, had she not frozen immediately upon his waking, she would now be able to count her broken bones somewhere beside the wall. But, slowly, some awareness of her identity seemed to reach him and he lowered his wand.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," he answered with a loud exhale. She mirrored him, relieved, not realising she was holding her breath.

"I was just wondering… Should you not return to school? Unless you plan to stay with me permanently..." she said carefully, not wanting to upset him again. That was more important than her "whys" for now, she supposed.

"Indeed," he said and stood up in one fluid movement that made his robes billow around him. "Have a nice day, Miss Granger. I will see you in a week, as we have agreed. Make sure you keep up your end of the deal too!" he ordered brusquely and shot her a glance even as he was smoothing out his clothes quickly with a spell.

She nodded and could only watch as he turned and left her, closing the door behind himself quietly. Well, that was strange... But then, nearly everything was weird whenever that man was involved.

* * *

Her days passed in a routine that was not entirely uncomfortable. It would be nearly like a holiday, if only there were some good books around... She slept when she was tired, wrote what she wanted to and ate when she felt like it. It was as if the time ceased to exist. The only reminder of it passing was a mark she scratched each day into the wall behind her bed. Now there were 4. When it would be 7, Snape was to come and do... that to her once more. When it would be 365, Snape would never ever come to her again.

Each day she heard the guard open the cells of the other girls, probably to give them food and water, and release them for a while from being chained. Then he returned and bound them again. But never her; it was like her cell was invisible to him. Was it Snape's doing? Did he tell them to avoid her or was her cell spelled somehow? Sometimes she heard the Death Eaters - Bonders? Is that what Snape called them? - go in and the screams, grunts, groans and begging always followed. It was by far the worst part of her day and it always made her pull the cloak from under the mattress, regardless the need to hide it, and press it tightly over her ears and across her head. Sometimes it took nearly an hour, if her judgement was to be trusted, before the heart-wrenching sounds finally stopped.

* * *

The sixth mark was fresh on the wall when her door opened again and there was a masked Death Eater standing in it. Her heart skipped a beat. There was an arrogant malice surrounding this one and it made her cover herself and hug her legs tightly, trying to hide from the man. Did he come to bring her to the rape room again? Then she noticed he wore no cloak. Was this Snape? But he was a day too early, if she counted right!

She was about to open her mouth to find out when her former professor put down his mask and barked, "Is this how you greet your Master?"

Then he waved his wand angrily and she was pushed forcefully to her knees in front of him. Her legs collided with the hard floor and she had to support her weight with her arms, lest she fall face first to the ground, and she yelped in surprise. What the Hell happened? Why was he humiliating her so much? However, Hermione knew better than to ask when he was in that kind of temper; his cold empty eyes told her that well enough. But he gave her the Vow...

"Go to your place, bitch!" he ordered and pointed at the wall. To that spot.

'Bitch'? What happened to 'Hermione'? Everyone here called her that, except him. Till now... And it hurt, even if she did not want to admit that. She felt tears in her eyes, but she blinked them back. They could wait. She could not appear weak now, she could not fight. It would hurt much more otherwise. She needed him and he had promised! Hopefully he would get out of this 'loss of temper' quickly and without causing much harm to her.

She slowly and cautiously moved to get up and put her hands on the wall, getting into the position he obviously wanted to have her in. She waited, her eyes squeezed shut and praying for him to calm down and be gentle with her.

"Do you want me to fuck you now?" The malicious question came from him and she shuddered - he was so rude! Was he expecting her to beg for it now? Beg for him to do it and let her survive another week? He really was the Pig she thought he was!

Suddenly, pain shot through her body, making her scream in surprise rather than suffering. There must be something wrong with him!

"Answer me, bitch!" he ordered coldly. He meant this! He really wanted to humiliate her in this way! She knew it would only get worse if she fought him...

"Yes," she answered weakly, deciding to play along till she found another solution. There was another jolt of pain that made her flinch.

"Yes, sir. Please!" she said, louder this time, taking care to not look around at him. Do as little as you can, Hermione. He will stop this eventually...

"Good," he said and she heard the familiar clang of the belt.

Squeezing her eyes shut and, praying to any god that would listen to her, she braced herself against the wall and tried to not think about what was happening. She will survive this one and then she will be alright for the next week. It will be 13 marks on her wall. When it is 365, she will be free from him...

She felt him stroke her back softly and then she felt him pressing that hot thing in between her legs with urgency she had no understanding for. If only that thing would fall off him! Now it was 6, tomorrow 7, the day after 8...

When he thrust that big hot thing into her with no warning at all, she had to control every fiber of her being to not try to flee from him and she suppressed her scream into only a small gasp for air. It hurt like hell! Did he forget about the spell? The spell was good! It was much easier for her to think of something else when it did not hurt so much.

Fortunately, the pain lessened as he continued to push himself in and out of her, holding her with both hands by her hips and slamming her against him. If only he was not so damn big and ruthless...

Trying to focus on the fact that he was not actively hurting or crushing her, she closed her eyes and pretended the few tears did not make it through her eyelids. Pretending she was not the whore she was told she was, even though she had consented to this. With a man she hardly knew and did not love even in the slightest. She only did what was necessary; she was not paid for this. There was only a promise she got in exchange and it did not count. It was not like that. It was NOT!

His movements quickened and she hoped it meant what it always had so far; that he was about to finish this and let her go. Make another 7 marks on the wall... And indeed, after a while, there was a groan from him - which did not fail to make her feel slightly nauseous - and she felt that thing twitch and pulse inside of her. Leaving the hot, slimy substance in its place, he pulled it out, a wet trail marking the line where it slid along her butt and thighs. Ugh...

Fighting the clenches of her revolted stomach and the desire to sob, she put her hands down and slowly turned around, folding her arms across her bare chest. She risked a glance at him and was met with another cold stare.

"Stop sniveling. It makes you look disgusting. And you smell horrible!" he barked at her with no expression at all and it made the fight to stop crying even more difficult. She knew she hadn't washed herself for nearly a week, but it was not her fault! She tried not to cry, she really did... She never wanted him to see her cry again. She tried to wait until he was gone! There was only 359 more marks and he would be gone...

She tried not to show him how much she hated him right now, even as he washed her with a spell and levitated another plate of food next to her bed, making the old one disappear. She would show him properly one day when she got the chance... She cast her eyes down for the moment and waited for him to leave. She did not have anything to say to him anyway, even if she wanted to...

After a few seconds, there was a loud bang of the door closing and she heard him walk away from her cell quickly. It was only then that she went to the bed, buried her head in the mattress and began to cry the way she had wanted to since he'd addressed her in the doorway.

* * *

 _I know you hate me right now, guys, and I really am sorry!_

 _Give me some nasty reviews, if you feel like it, but keep reading, please!_


	19. Chapter 19

_Hello, guys! I didn't realize I was that obvious! Most of you guessed right about what was really happening in the last chapter. A point for each of you who did!_

* * *

CHAPTER 19

There was no Lily's dead body to despair about, no Dumbledore to kill, no Dark Lord to order him to complete another atrocity, no Hermione pleading with him to stop hurting her... In other words, it was the best sleep Severus had had in years. It was as peaceful as it would ever get for him. But something was not right. He was not alone!

There was a rustle of fabric being moved and he shot towards the source, ready to defend himself. Pointing his wand at the closest part of the person and a curse ready on his tongue, he registered that the man or woman stopped moving, surrendering to him obviously. Perhaps he would not die today. Maybe no one would... That was good. The second part especially, anyone wanting to hurt him was bound to be a good person. They should stay in this world. But he still had a mission. Hermione. Oh, and the fucking Potter brat.

Was it her voice now? Someone was wishing him a good morning. Finally he lowered his wand a bit. FUCK! He had fallen asleep by her mattress! And he had risked everything, the moron that he was!

Snape knew perfectly well he was just deluding himself last night; the girl did not want him. She most likely despised him with all she had but still decided to suffer though the act simply to get out of here. To make him trust her. He had implied that his death would end the Bond. She was probably reaching for something to hit him with and then take his wand and kill him. A good plan but way too soon to be really useful. He'd given her the opportunity to nearly succeed. Idiot!

But she did not look aggressive to him now, simply acting surprised. And it was no big wonder; she was defenseless and not stupid. He would win this if she dared to continue. He returned the greeting, letting her know he was to be counted with again. _Now it was time to disappear - with dignity this time! - before she starts asking meddlesome questions._ He was not about to explain himself!

Luckily, she gave him a good excuse for escaping herself and began to ask about him not being at school instead of the reasons for him being here. What a mercy! There won't be a better chance in the near future. Barking a few sentences to make sure she still remembered their agreement - _he will NOT have her attempt that again_! - he smoothed out his clothes, said his goodbye and left for Hogwarts. Only then did Severus start breathing normally again.

* * *

Squeezing the stone in his pocket made him look at his palm as it stung a bit; he cut himself somewhere last night obviously. Casting a cleaning charm on himself - he should have done that a long time ago, really - he sat up in his Headmaster's chair and sealed the wound with his wand. What a night that was...

It was time to finally start doing something, though. Wallowing in pity and memories wouldn't get the girl out of that shitty hole and she counted on him. She needed him.

Overlooking and ignoring the huge pile of unanswered letters on his desk with grace, his eyes fell on the bowl with Floo Powder. It was time to talk to Lucius. He had a favour to cash in. He did not save the heir of his House for nothing... A Slytherin always pays his debt.

Standing up, he grabbed a handful of the powder, threw it into the fireplace and with a bark of "Malfoy Manor" disappeared from view.

* * *

Knowing what was going on was one thing. Knowing what to do with that knowledge was quite another and it had kept him occupied for the past few days.

The Dark Lord had Potter at the Fortress. Fuck! The moron Weasley was obviously in his company, along with a goblin and the wandmaker, Ollivander. What a collection! Was the monster waiting for the combination of horrendous stupidity, old age, grumpy temper and the ability to breed to react together and blow the whole world up with one big bang?! It would have been the worst potion Severus had ever heard of by far, surely capable of that... But then he would not keep them in his current residence, of course. Furthermore, it was all being kept strictly secret. There had to be something else...

He had to get the girl out. As soon as possible for his role could be exposed any day with no warning. A dead body wouldn't help her one bit. Except that the body would not have to fuck her any longer...

He had a plan but, for it to succeed, he needed her full trust that he was not sure he had, the Dark Lord's good mood - which was near to non-existent - and then a lot of luck. But it was the best he could come up with whilst keeping him in the Death Eater ranks and his head on his shoulders...

As if there was not enough on his plate already, the school went crazy on him again; the moron Longbottom had founded some kind of resistance movement. Thinking he was inconspicuous, he'd been wandering to Hogsmeade to visit Aberforth every other day or so, and it took every spare minute Severus had - or did NOT have - to keep the Carrows and Umbridge from discovering it and ordering someone - him most likely! - to kill or torture the whole merry group of dunderheads. The Gryffindor idiot must have thought himself so clever and brave! As if he was actually helping anybody with that!

Fuming and pacing through his office, he clenched the stone in his hand again. It was six days already, he would have to go there soon... No summons had come in the past days but he knew there would be one this evening; it was a planned session to discuss the issues that were linked to conquering the world by dark lords. He did not look forward to this one in particular as he was approached by three of his students - two Slytherins and one Ravenclaw - who wanted to join the ranks. They were all quite adamant about that, enthusiastic even. Not taking any hint from him about it being better to finish the school first. About there being other options for was no more he could say except from admitting he was a spy who wanted them to join the Order instead. They even claimed they would find someone else to take them to Him, if he was not willing to do it. They were as stupid as he once was... And so it was up to him to introduce them to the Dark Lord tonight.

Subconsciously, his fingers left the dark stone they were so used to holding and brushed along the small bottle in his pocket to check it is still there, then moved to the shrunken food plate that he always carried with him so he would be prepared for an unplanned call that may include the order to visit her. He'd said he would limit their meeting to the pure minimum and he fully intended to keep that promise. She trusted him!

Sitting in his chair again, he pulled out the small bottle and eyed it's golden content in reverie.

* * *

Severus was striding across the muddy field leading to the Fortress, three panting, nervous and wide-eyed teenagers in tow. He wouldn't slow down, not for them. They should better learn that no one would slow down for them any more, not after this night.

Introducing them to the outdoor guards as new recruits and then dumping them immediately behind the door, he barked "Wait there, don't go anywhere. This might take a few hours."

He was sure they would be alright until then - or as alright as they ever would be until they got the much needed brain transplant. _Everything will turn up well tonight. He knows exactly what to do._

Without looking back at them to make sure they obeyed his order, he headed to the usual meeting room and chose the chair by the Dark Lord's right hand. That was his rightful place these days and he wanted everyone to see and respect that tonight.

And then he waited. Waited for the monster to distribute all the horrible orders. Waited till he got yet another list of deadly potions to brew - and nearly smiled, when he saw it, the one was there! Waited when there were questions from his fellows and a Crucio as a reward for a stupid suggestion. Severus waited for the creature to start complaining about not having enough young, promising and motivated followers again. Only then did he finally speak.

"I suppose I may be of service in this matter today, my Lord. I managed to recruit three young and determined men. They are waiting in the Entrance Hall as we are speaking, ready to be Marked if they are found worthy. Or to be killed, if they are not. They are eager for a chance to prove themselves to you and your legacy," Snape stated and he knew he was saying exactly the right thing. And indeed, there was that glint in the monster's eyes that he hadn't seen in months - the Dark Lord looked actually pleased!

"Very well, Severus! That's exactly the initiative I would like each of you to have! I shall see to them shortly as our session appears to be at it's end anyway. If there are no more questions or suggestions?"

Luckily no one dared to delay the creature when it obviously wanted to let them all go home in order to be able to impress some kids with its power and beauty. No more questions then.

"In that case, the session is over now." He waved them off with his claw like hand and watched as they rose from their chairs and dispersed. Severus felt it was not the end for him today, though.

"Severus, be so kind and stay behind. I will assess the men and wish to let you know of the results, if you are interested," the Dark Lord claimed and Severus only nodded in agreement; he recognised an order when he got it, no matter how nicely it was wrapped. And he needed to speak to the thing today. Alone.

About an hour later, the Dark Lord reentered the room, looking - definitely for the lack of better words that would describe unliving and unfeeling objects - happy. But that was good for Snape this time. Snape needed the monster as happy as it could ever be.

Standing up and bowing his head respectfully, he waited to be addressed.

"A good job, Severus. A good job indeed..." the Dark Lord remarked. Snape bowed his head even lower in recognition of the praise he got.

"It was exactly as you told me; all very eager to prove themselves. All very willing to do what was asked. They will become worthy followers one day and I will remember who brought them to our cause," he continued and sneered widely in what was probably meant to be a smile.

"You have always been a jewel in my ranks, Severus. A gold spark in the pile of muck. Able, loyal and with your own head. But recently I've heard some most curious reports concerning you. Most curiousss..." the last letter caught in his lipless, snakelike mouth, prolonging it, and Severus inclined his head, indicating he was paying close attention. He knew what would follow...

"It's about that bitch of yours, my friend. The guards keep complaining about you for some reason. Thoroughly 'rewarded' for that, do not worry," the thing sneered maliciously. "But there are some bits of truth to it, obviously. Like you visiting at odd times at night. Being very rough with her. Slacking off in the past few days too, not going there often. Even, allegedly, sleeping in her cell! Care to explain?" he cast his disgusting red eyes at him and Snape answered. The words were very clear in his mind. He could do no wrong today.

"The answer is quite simple, my Lord. I have been training the whore. In order for her to be more accommodating to my... needs... and this was a part of it," Severus answered.

"Elaborate, please," the Dark Lord appealed.

"As you have mentioned, I can't really visit her too often - or not as often as I would like - and fulfill all my duties as the Headmaster of Hogwarts and your Potions Master. For that reason I am conditioning her to submit to me and obey in all situations so that one day she might be moved to a better, accessible place. I really need a house elf in my house, in Spinner's End, as it is a mess... But, as Lucius proved a few years ago, they are not trustworthy. Even that bastard Black would still be around, if it weren't for one. On the other hand, a girl who knows she would not live another week without my attention..." he made himself smile at that "And I could enjoy her every day with no major time restrictions to my duties. I already feed her so it would not be an additional bother. If my Lord permits it, of course," Severus bowed his head again.

The creature became thoughtful at that.

"Well, it is true that you do have a lot on your plate... Furthermore, I really want to have your heirs in my ranks as soon as possible. So if you wish so... You have always served me well. Do you believe this training of yours to have any results already?"

"I do, my Lord. Obedient, meek, polite to me in all circumstances. Never even attempted to raise a finger against me. You can come and witness it yourself, should you be interested," Snape offered. He knew it would work out.

"It seems to be a good time for a show of your skills, Severus. I never thought you would entertain such a hobby... Training pets! You never cease to amaze me, my friend!" the approval was clear in his voice.

"Thank you, my Lord. You are most kind to me," Snape acknowledged the praise. The wizard dabbed his chest with his wand and disillusioned himself. It was only his voice, commanding "Lead the way, Severus!" that signaled he was still in the room. So Severus did, not looking back and not stopping until he reached her cell down in the dungeons.

She was curled into the corner, hugging herself, her eyes wide and beautiful as ever.

He knew what to do and he knew she wouldn't like it. He knew she was going to hate him even more than before for what he was about to do. But he didn't need her to be happy with him. He didn't even need her to like him. _It will only get in the way when he is dead..._ He needed her out of here. He needed her free. _She will live and be happy again one day..._

Using that thought to lock everything else behind his mind walls, he took down his Mask. And he said what needed to be said and did what he had to do. For her to be happy. Without him.

* * *

 _Many thanks to you all for reading (and maybe reviewing? Please?) and especially to Pirocantha for helping me with grammar again!_


	20. Chapter 20

_Hello, guys! This one is dedicated to all those of you who write reviews and make me smile! Thank you so much for your support!_

* * *

CHAPTER 20

She hated him. Actually hated him. She hated him more than she had ever hated anyone else in the world.

That was Hermione's first conscious thought when she woke up the next day, her eyes swollen from crying herself to sleep. He knew she needed him and he used it to his advantage, making her feel like dirt under his feet on purpose. It probably turned him on, the Pig.

Of course, she hated Voldemort too but it was very different. She did not really know him; she'd never even spoken to him. It was the kind of hatred most Muggles had for Adolf Hitler or Saddam Hussein, she supposed. It was known they were bad and cruel mass killers, but the people without any personal experience with them often simply feared them, hoping it would stay that way and they would never meet.

But she'd met Snape and Snape had hurt her. On a very personal level. That was not something that she would forget easily, if ever... No matter what he promised.

Yes, she would cooperate with him, if need be. She was even ready to obey him for as long as she was forced to but she knew who he was. The Pig. As soon as she would be free from him, she did not want to have anything to do with him, ever. Maybe cast some nasty hexes at him, kick him in between his legs as her father taught her to do to dirty men and then slam the door. If he survived the Vow somehow, that is... Then she would hate him safely from a distance until the end of her life.

Taking out the diary and the pen, she frowned and listed every dark spell she had ever heard of on a new page, titling it 'For Snape, the Pig'.

* * *

Today she made the ninth mark on the wall and was currently squeezing her ears that were surrounded with the warm cloth again. It was the opposite cell now and it took ages. She preferred it much more when it had appeared to be empty...

Finally, the screams stopped. Then, after a few minutes, the groans. The door opened and slammed again and she could peek out of her hiding place. She knew it was childish but it would drive her crazy if she did not have at least that kind of security. She fished out the diary from under her bed and tried desperately to employ her mind into listing the Charm formulas. There was nothing she could do for the other girls. Nothing...

Several hours later, the guard came to feed the other prisoners and she did not really pay attention. Not until she noticed there was some kind of commotion in front of the bars that surrounded her cell.

She cautiously and quietly stood up and sneaked up to the bars, hoping she would, as always, not be noticed. Then she regretted it with vengeance. The guard was levitating the dirty, battered and bruised body of a young girl behind himself! A dead body. She looked to be about 14 or 15, for Merlin's sake! Only a child! So thin and pale... She felt tears sting at the corners of her eyes. So this was how she could end one day too...

The man was taking care not to get himself too near to the corpse, obviously disgusted by its state, and it made him back off from it only about two or three inches away from her cell's bars. There was something silver glittering in his pocket...

This was what she had been waiting for! This was her moment! She had to try it, now or never!

Casting her sentiments over the dead girl away, she made quickly and silently two steps forward, and inserted her hand in between the bars to reach the object in the pocket. Her fingers made contact with the cold metal and she felt a jolt of joy go through her - it was a ring with keys! Cell keys! Exactly what she needed!

Having no time to do this carefully, she pulled the keys out of the pocket and into her cell when...

DAMN! NO! Not this!

The keys made contact with the iron bars and the resulting clink got the guard to look around at her. Directly at her, holding the key ring!

NO!

"Hey, you! Bitch! Give that back!" he bellowed and reached with his hand towards her.

With a surge of panic, she backed away from the bars to her bed, hiding herself along with the keys behind the small alcove. She had his keys, he could not get to her here...

But she was wrong, obviously. In no time, there was a thud of a dead body carelessly dropped to the ground followed by a rattle of locks being open and the door swung on its hinges. Of course, Snape had never had any keys to open the door, it could be done with magic too...

Pressing herself into the wall and lifting the heavy food plate from beside her bed, she readied herself to hit the man as soon as she saw so much as the tip of his nose. She would stun him and then take his wand and run. But then she was startled violently by a horrible loud scream coming from the doorway. She flinched in fright but nothing ever happened to her - it was only the man yelling as if someone had set him on fire. It took seconds, then minutes...

Overcoming her fear of what she might see, she peeked out of the alcove and saw the guard convulsing between the hinges where the now open door used to stand. Violent spasms and green sparks were running around his rigidly lying body and his screams were slowly dying out. What the hell was happening?! Did someone spell the man from behind? Or was it some kind of magical seizure?

Carefully, she neared to the body and saw that the man was already unconscious. Helpless in any case. Whatever made him collapse was probably not going to affect her for now...

This was her chance. This was the opportunity to save herself, Snape's miserable attempts be damned - if there even were any to begin with! She could always find him later and make him cancel the curse. She knew where to find him and she had three more days to do it.

Hermione quickly pulled her cloak out from under her mattress to cover and disguise herself and stopped only shortly to bend down and take the man's wand before she immediately turned left from her cell and started running, making herself disregard the two limp bodies that she left behind.

There were so many cells in this hell of a place! But she could not stop to try to free anyone else except the boys. All she could see though were girls and women, all chained, dirty and barely conscious. She did not have the time and they were bound, weak and surely confused. And they would all die within a week anyway. She would alert the Order, find a way to save them and return here with reinforcements. She could not even give them a wand to defend themselves now. It would be suicide for the girls, especially if she failed this and got caught. She must not get caught. Focus, Hermione!, she ordered herself and ran faster than ever before she reached what was obviously the exit from the dungeons.

With her wand ready, her body slightly crouched, she did not waste a single second and started cursing everyone and everything her eyes caught even a glimpse of; there were no friends of hers in this building who would not be behind the bars.

Two seconds and three Stupefies later, there were three dark clad bodies sprawled on the floor. She wasted no time in tying them down and silencing them and then collected their wands, stuffing them in the cloak's inner pocket.

The adrenaline made her see everything in a slow motion. She'd been dreaming of this moment for days. She knew what to do!

The Point Me Spell showed her that it was North ahead of her and she remembered dimly that they had entered the Fortress through a gate that led East from the building, the sunrise directly on their back as they'd been herded towards it. So she turned left and took the door closest to her intended direction.

There was a hallway and then another door, same as the one she selected the last time.

Pulling at the doorknob with her wand poised for an attack, she opened it resolutely and jumped inside.

Without warning, she was thrown towards the wall and chained to it before she managed to make a sound.

She was looking directly into Snape's eyes...

* * *

 _Many thanks to Pirocantha for helping with this again! Even during her holiday in France she was willing to correct the chapters!_

 _And the next one will go to Severus :-)_


	21. Chapter 21

_Hello, guys! Thank you for reading this, I hope you will like this one!_

* * *

CHAPTER 21 **  
**

With his heart in tatters, her teary eyes etched deep into his tortured soul but his Occlumency walls still holding everything in, he closed the door of her cell and returned to the meeting room, waiting.

He did not have to wait for long.

"It seems you really are an excellent teacher, my friend. That was very impressive indeed!" came a voice and the Dark Lord materialized just a few feet away from him.

Severus only bowed in response.

"You may take her to your home if you wish. She appears to be obedient enough for me not to worry about your safety," he continued and Severus nearly smiled with relief at that. Nearly. The monster was not finished yet...

"On the condition that you brand her first, of course." SHIT! "There is no way to trust a follower who has not been marked. You have to be able to control her fully, just in case. The very same way I am with all my Death Eaters... And for that she must be willing to accept the Mark, it cannot be done successfully against the servant's wishes as you very well know. As soon as you manage that, she can leave with you. Just tell the guards you are taking her to me, I will check the magic was done properly - there is no one else in the world who would know the curse as well as I do - and you may leave. To Spinner's End, you say?"

FUCK! Did the potion really have to stop working now?! He had used all the lethifold skin he had and got very close to the toxic dosage even as it was...

"Yes, my Lord," he answered calmly, not revealing even a hint of his inner turmoil.

"Very well. Thanks to you, I have three new Death Eaters enthusiastic about proving themselves. They will all be ordered to help you guard the house, watching it at all times and making sure she will not leave your property," the creature informed him and his heart sunk even further. So just another prison for her...

"Any questions?" the thing asked, a glint in its eyes.

"No, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord," he answered, not daring to negotiate. He was out of luck now.

"You are welcome, my dear!" the Dark Lord sneered his ugly smile at him and waved its horrible claw of a hand to dismiss him.

Bowing deeply, Severus left the room, catching only a bellow of "Bella, to me!" and the subsequent bang of the woman being transported. He'd managed to arouse the monster with his actions towards the girl today... He knew what the scenario for their coupling would be that night.

He wanted to puke.

After exactly 8 minutes, he did and it was not from seeing the Hogwarts gates...

* * *

It had been four days since that night now and he was prepared. Today there was going to be a session. Today he was going to see her and tell her. Today, he was going to take the girl out of that shithole.

 _If only she consents to accept the Mark. His Mark. Making her a slave of h_ _is until_ _the end of his life. For a year, in other words. What a wonderful idea to anyon_ _e_ _!_ Severus thought darkly. But he would make that time shorter as soon as he was finished here. The bottles with the poison were stored safely in his pocket...

He planned carefully what to say to her so she would at least consider the offer and not laugh outright at him for even bringing it up. It was very likely she would prefer being locked in the cell over being kept in his house. If one could even call the ruin a house...

This was his typical fucking luck. Luck!? His life was full of shit even when he was lucky!

Squeezing the stone in his palm so hard it hurt, he focused on the regular beats. She was alright. That was all that mattered now. The rest could be solved somehow, one day. She was alright...

* * *

Severus was sitting by the Dark Lord's right hand again and waited for that horrible meeting to end, cursing silently anyone who did anything to prolong it. _He will tell her tonight. Maybe she will leave with him in only a few hours! She will be safe!_

He felt for the stone in his pocket, as was his habit nowadays, and counted the pulses.

 _103, 104, 105, 106... But wait, they are rather quick! Too quick for it to be normal._ _Something is happening!_

His chest constricted and even his strictly schooled features nearly betrayed his worry. _No, she has to be alright. Today is perhaps the last day. This HAS to work out!_

But the stone was beating madly now, not slowing down even when he squeezed it with all his strength. After a few minutes, he heard quick, running footsteps heading towards the room.

It was then that everything went to hell.

It was only luck that it was him who was the first to curse the girl; had he not been on high alert, someone else would have fired instead and the girl would be dead on the spot. If his fortune holds, she would look harmless enough immobilized and the monster would get curious just sufficiently about this to let him speak to him before he killed her.

She was writhing in the chains and shooting him furious glances and he had no choice but to add Silencio and Petrificus to her when he saw her opening her mouth; to start cursing him, no doubt. She was not helping.

 _Just look innocent and harmless, for Merlin's fucking sake! Look like you always do except for now!_ he tried to order her with his eyes as he was staring at her.

"Well, now that is certainly an unexpected surprise..." the Dark Lord drawled and Severus started breathing again. _He IS curious!_

"Isn't this that whore of yours, Severus? The one you were training?" Severus could only nod and bow his head. His throat was still too tight to speak.

"Is this part of the training, my friend? Letting her run around the playground, unchecked?" there was a note of reproach in the Dark Lord's voice.

"No, my Lord, I have no idea what is going on here," he answered honestly, still pointing his wand at her to strengthen the impression that she was under strict supervision and entirely powerless now.

"Avery, Nott, go and see what happened to the guards. Talk to them and then kill them. Swiftly if they won't whine about it. I won't have anyone in my ranks who can be overpowered or outwitted by a little snotty girl!" the thing barked its orders and reminded everyone exactly why there were never enough followers. The Dark Lord managed to kill more of them weekly than the Order did in a whole year...

The men quickly left the room and the creature stood up, apparently to examine the girl. Severus subconsciously made a step towards her. _He must protect her. He won't let the thing come too near. She is too precious, too pure for this monster to spoil her by its presence...  
_

The Dark Lord waved his wand at her - her eyes were impossibly wide and she was scared out of her wits, no doubt - but Severus recognized the wand movement and forced himself not to start firing curses for he knew that the would-be-man only wanted to summon the wands that were still in her possession. The three hidden in the cloak's pocket flew to him along with the one that had clattered to the floor when he'd chained her to the wall. The thing came nearer still, only a step away from her, observing her closely and Severus' breath quickened to a panicked rhythm. _Stay calm! She is going to be fine. He won't harm her. Don't_ _lose_ _your head_ _and_ _don't curse him. She won't survive if that happens! Stay calm!_ was his inner mantra as he made himself stay where he was. Hopefully the Dark Lord wouldn't notice it was HIS cloak around her, not some guard's.

"At least I see now what it is that makes you enjoy her so much," he remarked, staring at her naked breasts and pussy, both now revealed by the cloak that opened at her front and Severus squeezed his wand so hard his knuckles went white and his hand shook slightly. _HOW DARE HE OGLE HER SO! SHE WAS HIS!_

But he made himself bow his head as if he actually agreed. _Anything to make him happy. Happy enough not to kill her. She HAS_ _to_ _survive!_

The monster raised its paw to move the curly brown hair out of her beautiful face almost tenderly and Severus would swear he heard his wand crack by the sheer pressure he was putting on it. With some luck, it was just his strained knuckles...

"Indeed," the monster said, likely to himself. "Too bad she betrayed you, my friend. With all the effort you were investing into her, she still did not learn what is her place. How very sad..."

Severus felt his heart beating madly against his rib cage. This was not good! _He has to do something now! Even if it gets him killed for talking back to the thing!_

"There is still a chance she did not disobey, my Lord. There might have been a traitor or someone incompetent..." He used the two words that always got the Dark Lord's attention. He hated traitors and incompetence. Maybe he would choose to punish the guards himself and wouldn't take it out on the girl...

"Well, let's wait for the boys to return to us and tell us what they have discovered. In the meantime we could perhaps entertain ourselves with her..." he suggested and raised his clawed hand towards her gorgeous breast. Severus lost the fight with himself at the moment and just started turning his wand against the disgusting thing - _SHE WILL BE PROTECTED_ \- when the door opened and Avery tumbled in, breathing heavily.

Both men put their hands down, their attention diverted, and Snape gained his control back at last. His hands shook badly and he hid them in his sleeves. With some luck, no one noticed; the rest of the Inner Circle were still sitting around the table, not daring to make a sound. They would not say. They would keep quiet...

"Timing has never been your strong point, really... Though we have been waiting for long enough, I suppose. So?" the Dark Lord bid the man to speak.

"The guards in the Jail Chamber were found unconscious, bound and Silencioed, apparently by the whore who took them by surprise. We left them there for the moment and went to see the dungeon area. Frank Willington was obviously cleaning up the cells when he was hit by something surrounding the girl's cell, some kind of wards evidently. Nott got hit and caught by that too when he was trying to check on him, that's how we found out. I called the Healer and he took both of them to St. Mungo's, not knowing how to help them here himself. Nothing he tried was working. He said they would probably not make it," Avery panted with difficulty and Severus' blood froze. The wards...

"Now, that is interesting... Care to explain just who put the wards there? Unauthorized? Severus?!" the monster narrowed its eyes at him and Severus did not even manage to open his mouth before the curse hit him.

Falling to the floor and clenching his teeth together to stop himself from screaming, he tried to breath through the pain as it seared across his bones and flesh, putting daggers into his brain and every nerve ending he possessed. _It's him, not her. He could endure this. It's easy, even. It's him..._

The pain stopped finally and he gave himself a few seconds before he stood up gingerly, his head bowed respectfully even though he was still shaking from the shock that the agony had caused to his system.

"My apologies, my Lord, I didn't know we were forbidden to..." he started hoarsely when there was another jet of light and he was knocked down again, violent spasms raging through his body, making him see white. _It is HIM. Not HER! It was good!  
_

The curse was lifted once more and it left him drained, his limbs twitching. There was no time to crawl around though. _She needs him._

Moving slowly, carefully putting his legs back under him, he raised himself up again.

"I am very sorry, my Lord." His voice was hoarse simply from the sheer pressure the curse put on his throat muscles although he had not uttered a sound for the past few minutes. Everything hurt so damn much and his whole body was trembling. But it could be taken care of later. Now it was about her.

"As you should be. The whore betrayed you. It is your job to remedy that. Kill her!"

The order resonated in his pounding head and he nearly lost his footing again. Kill her! Kill her! KILL HER!

He couldn't kill her. That was not something in the scale of possibilities. Impossible. It could not be done. She had to live! Everything would be lost for ever if she did not live...

"I can't..." he said quietly and it sounded lame even to him. Why was there no brilliant lie to tell? Why was his brain so empty? Why was he panicking so much right now after 20 years of smooth deceptions?!

The curse hit him with a force that knocked him down again, immediately. He did not even feel his knees colliding with the ground. Such things were simply not registered when one was being tortured with that. He knew a lot about the curse. _He has had it many times before. He knows how to deal with it. He could do it. It alright as long as it's not her._

After an eternity, his weakened limbs finally gave up under him and he fell down, hitting his head against the hard stone floor and making his vision blur. _He could not lose it. He must stay conscious. She is not safe. He needs to stay around to protect her!_ He clenched his teeth even tighter together.

Then the pain stopped and he was lying there limply. He could not even open his eyes and his head pounded fiercely, making the whole world swim around him. Someone was speaking though and he made himself listen to the sound. _She is not safe..._

"Why is it that even the best of men always succumb to low passions, letting themselves be controlled by lust and jealousy... That was irresponsible, Severus, and you know I have no patience for that. You nearly killed two of my servants with your carelessness today," the Dark Lord sneered and then there was a crack. It was one of his fingers being broken.

"I..." another crack, his index this time, "won't" his thumb snapped, "tolerate" his middle finger, "that!" and the monster stepped on his hand, putting his weight on the broken fingers. The crunching sound echoed through the room and Snape heard some of his fellows gasp at that. Severus squeezed his eyes shut, fighting hard to stay aware and silent. That was important. Not his fingers. Not his pain. _She is not safe!_

"Fortunately for you, my friend, I still have some use for you. You will have to live for some time yet. At least till you give me some heirs - I will make sure they do not share the lesser sides of your character... Heirs you produce with another bitch, though," _NO! NO! Don't hurt her!_

"Crucio!"

He did not feel the curse this time. _It was NOT him!_

* * *

 _As always, many thanks to Pirocantha for editing! She even implied I was getting slightly better at not driving her crazy with my errors :-D  
_

 _The next chapter will go to Hermione :-)_

 _Please review, if you have the time, it is always much appreciated!_


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

 _Without warning, she was thrown towards the wall and chained to it before she managed to make a sound._

 _She was looking directly into Snape's eyes..._

* * *

 _NO! This can't be happening! She was nearly out of this hellhole when_ _he_ _'d_ _spoiled everything!_

She pulled violently at her chains to release herself. _What a gall! How_ _dare_ _he chain her like a dog?!_

She opened her mouth to tell him exactly that when there was another swish of his wand and she lost her voice and then her ability to move. _That bastard! He won't even listen to what she is about to say!_

But then she looked around properly and all fight left her immediately. The room was full of Death Eaters, all the rest of them still sat masked and unmoving by the big table. Voldemort himself was among them. Damn! She should have taken the door on the right!

Snape and Voldemort were talking now. The panic must wait. Focus! They are talking about you!

"- that whore of yours, Severus? The one you were training?" the noseless man hissed. Training?! He said he was training her?! She was NOT a dog! The Pig actually agreed with that!

"Is this part of the training, my friend? Letting her run around the playground, unchecked?"

"No, my Lord, I have no idea what is going on here," Snape answered. _Of course, he doesn't!_ He would never help her! He was about to sit and wait for her to get old before he would move a finger for her! _Except disarming and chaining her when she tried to do something herself, that is!_

Voldemort then ordered two of the other Death Eaters to go and search the dungeons. Why not to ask her? She really was NOT a dog; she could talk! When she did not have Silencio on her that is. But no one here ever thought of that, obviously!

But wait, he ordered them to kill the guards? Why?! Because they got stunned by her?! The man was as crazy as he looked!

The madman now rose and neared her! Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it was about to break her ribs at any moment! _Stay away! Just stay away!_

Then he waved his wand at her and she closed her eyes, expecting pain at the very least. It never came, though. With fear overwhelming her, she hardly noticed her wands being taken from her and that the two men were speaking again.

The only thing that existed now was the dark wizard only one step from her, watching her, dark magic and power emanating from him in waves. He was raising his hand to her face! It was so deathly pale and ugly and she could not move away even when she desperately tried!

Try as she might, she could not focus fully on the words. They were talking rubbish anyway as she knew from the few bits she caught. She did not betray anyone! She also very much doubted Snape liked her, not even physically; he would take any woman that was offered to him as long as she was willing to play along with his disgusting perverted games.

The horrible living corpse then raised his hand again to her, aiming for her breasts obviously, and her stomach turned. _Don't touch me! Don't touch me!_

She closed her eyes again, not wanting to see it when it happened, when his hand would rest on her flesh. It never came, though; instead she was startled horribly by a door being open forcefully and one of the Death Eaters entering it. It was the one Voldemort sent out previously, reporting to him now. _So it was wards?! How could some wards do THAT to anyone?! How did it not affect her at all?_

 _Merlin, it was SNAPE of all people who put them in place?! Why?!_

But her thoughts were interrupted harshly as Voldemort suddenly raised his wand and cast the Cruciatus Curse. At Snape! For casting the wards evidently!

There must have been something wrong with that curse, though; Snape never even made a sound. The only proof of him being spelled at all was him sinking to his hands and knees after a few moments. Otherwise, he looked absolutely unmoved and that was impossible. Wasn't it?

Although the curse took surely something over a minute, the dark clad man rose back to his feet in only a few seconds. Was there a way to make the Cruciatus Curse hurt less? She had read something - a lot actually - about it after it had been used on Harry and none of the books mentioned that. As far as she knew, the curse killed a person usually after only five minutes, the time likely connected to the respiratory troubles the spasms were causing to the somatic system, suffocating the victim as well as weakening the muscles and nerves to the point of cardiac and neural failure. Though the time could be prolonged by extreme time of exposure and frequency of casting, the victim usually lost his or her sanity long before that happened. There was a reason for the curse to be Unforgiveable...

Snape obviously did not read the books, though, acting as if nothing had happened. Merlin, he even started apologizing respectfully after what he had just been through!

But his Master did not let him even finish the sentence, cursing him again with another Cruciatus and obviously enjoying the show. He looked amused even, the crank!

Snape didn't, though, falling to his knees again but all she could hear were his laboured and seemingly not very successful attempts to breathe. It took ages and she felt worry smuggle into her chest, entirely without her permission. She should be happy about this! He was the Pig! He deserved this and much more!

Except she wasn't happy. She wasn't a monster, even though she spent so much time in their company in the last days. She could not be that angry at this man suffering on the floor any more. It was her fault. If she had not run, the wards would have stayed hidden and he would not be being punished...

The curse was lifted after a few minutes and she nearly sighed in relief when she saw Snape moving to lift himself up again. Merlin's beard, the man was resilient... He even managed to speak after he had stood up, only trembling slightly.

"I am very sorry, my Lord," he rasped. Hermione felt sorry too. For him, actually, and it made her feel strange. She'd got him into trouble. _That was what she had_ _wanted, wasn't it?_ she thought, not really sure anymore.

"As you should be. The whore betrayed you. It is your job to remedy that. Kill her!" Voldemort ordered.

 _Oh no..._

Her heart was hammering in her chest and she watched the man, scared. _No, he can't kill her. He gave her the Vow! He will die himself if he does it! He must know that!_

"I can't..." _He knew that, obviously! Good!_

But then Voldemort's red eyes narrowed and she did not even see his wand moving as he cursed Snape again. There was no doubt he was angry for being disobeyed!

The Death Eater sunk to his hands and knees and struggled to breathe, the knuckles on his pale slender hands white as he fought to support his weight on them.

Still, the professor never made a sound, even after minutes of slight twitching under the curse which was the only visible effect it had had on him except knocking him down, face first. It looked so morbid! So out of place to be in so much pain and yet so silent. She would be much calmer if he screamed aloud! He could have been dead already for all she knew!

 _He should be dead by now for all she knows about this_ , she realized. _That's why he had fallen down so hard._ _It is well over the five minutes now and the spasms could continue even post mortem... Oh no! NO! He can't be!  
_

Guilt gnawed at her insides like it never had before. It was her fault! She made him swear the Vow to not kill her. He had no other choice than to refuse the order. Refuse and get himself tortured to death...

The curse was lifted finally, leaving the man lying on the floor, his limbs still twitching randomly. He was not moving. Not trying to stand up this time. He looked dead. He likely was dead!

Voldemort was speaking again but it sounded muffled to her. _He was dead..._

The monster of a wizard decided to mutilate him even after that though. Couldn't he at least leave him rest in peace now?!

The creepy snaps of the broken bones and the crunching of his crushed hand echoed through the room and it was not only her who found it repulsive and undignified. Even the Death Eaters were shocked at that! Did the man have no respect for the dead at all? _It is not like a corpse could beg for mercy. A corpse. Snape was dead! Because of her!_ she realized suddenly. He did not move or moan even when he was being crushed cruelly. He was dead for certain.

Yes, there surely were times when she wished him to be dead. Wished it with her whole heart. But it was not supposed to happen as a punishment for something SHE had done. _This was not right. This was not fair!_

Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. This is all her fault... He is dead because of her!

"Fortunately for you, my friend, I still have some use for you. You will have to live for some time yet. At least till you give me some heirs - I will make sure they do not share the lesser sides of your character... Heirs you produce with another bitch, though." Voldemort was mad. _He kills someone and then orders the man to live and breed!_

But the lunatic then turned his attention to her. Another bitch... He wants to kill her too?!

"Crucio!"

The curse hit her for the second time in her life and she knew it was NOT moderated in any way! If anything, it was even worse than the one she'd experienced the day they arrived here!

There was not a molecule in her body that was not convulsing in agony, like her whole body was rebelling against itself and wanted to tear itself apart. White hot fire was searing her body and she did not even feel the chains bite into her skin, there was only their pressure that was not permitting her to curl and toss around.

She wanted to scream but she couldn't, the spell swallowing all sound that she made. There was not enough air in her anyway. She had to breathe. She HAD to!

Suddenly, the curse was lifted and she hung limply in the chains, trying to fill her lungs with oxygen. There was a high pitched tone in her ears, similar to the one a Muggle television would make if it were out of signal. All she could hear was her irregularly beating heart, breathing and that note. Her head swam and her vision was blurred.

She just wanted to close her eyes and rest. Rest for the rest of her life.

Hermione just about dozed off when she was suddenly released from the bonds and fell to the ground, hitting her knees. The pain roused her enough to look around herself propely.

SNAPE WAS STANDING NEXT TO HER!

WHAT?! Was he reanimated somehow?! But it was impossible to raise people from death!

He had not been dead then! Only pretending to be, perhaps.

She made herself focus on his appearance.

Maybe he had been not really pretending, he still looked very dead to her even standing... The Death Eater was sweating and panting, leaning against the wall heavily. He was even paler than usual - deathly pale really - and the delicate veins in his orbs were visible, many ruptured, staining the whites of his eyes a bright red. They were a bit like Voldemort's, only there was no malice in them - all she could detect was apprehension and exhaustion. He looked just about ready to faint, swaying on his feet slightly. His right hand was already swollen and the fresh bruises gave it a sickly bluish hue where it was not bloodied from the scratches on his knuckles. Snape was still using it to support himself against the wall, maybe it did not hurt as bad as it looked...

"Here, girl, take it!" someone called and a wand flew her way. She made to catch it instinctively. Wands flying around? What?!

It was thrown by Voldemort! To her, deliberately! She could only gape. What was happening here?!

The dark wizard then waved his hand at the door that was etched into the opposite wall, just behind his sitting Death Eaters, and it opened with a creak. There were several others by the sound of it, locks rattling, hinges screeching in the distance.

"The path is clear; you may leave if you wish so. You won't be punished for it and no one will hinder you. The doors are now open and unguarded the whole way to the exit," the tall snakelike wizard said and gestured invitingly towards the door with his hand.

What the hell was happening here?!

She looked at Snape who watched her intently, not caring about the sweat dripping from his forehead into his eyes. He looked scared. Why would he look scared?! If only she could hear what they had been talking about!

Did Voldemort threaten Snape? Did he offer to let her go in return for something that Snape was not willing to give? Why was Snape not talking?!

She searched his eyes and could feel the Death Eater did not want her to go. He wanted her to give the wand to him, drawing her to him with his stare like vipers are known to do to mice. He really was scared. She hadn't ever seen him so afraid...

Maybe this was all just a part of yet another sick game that was meant to trick her but she was not sure it was played by Snape anymore. No game is fun when you are half dead as Snape's appearance suggested. He was a victim in this act as much as she was. They were in this together. _If they don't work together, neither of them will make it_ _to_ _the end._

It was also still possible the professor would get her out of this prison as he had promised. She needed him alive to rescue Harry and Ron. She had no idea how to do it herself. Harry and Ron...

Hermione stood up slowly. _He wants her to give him the wand._ _He wanted_ _to_ _humiliate her_ _the last time_ _they_ _met too. They all consider her to be his whore. If she_ _was going to play along, she w_ _ould_ _play along the whole act..._

She made a step towards him, then another. As soon as she was close enough to touch him, she kneeled before him, bowed her head and stretched out her hand to surrender the wand, handle first.

 _That's what good whores do._

"Good. Now go back to your cell, close the door and wait for me there. You know the way now. I will see you when my duties are fulfilled here," he ordered her harshly.

Hermione obeyed quickly, with her eyes still on the floor, feeling she had just made the worst mistake of her life.

* * *

 _Many thanks to Pirocantha for helping me with this chapter again - she is really great about this, even willing to explain things and educate me! - and also to all of you who review and make me write so much faster!_


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

" _Crucio!"_

 _It was NOT him!_

She could not scream – he had put the Silencio on her himself – but the knowledge that she was hurting gave him the strength to open his eyes. Then to move his hands. Then even to crawl to the wall she was chained to. He put his hands on it – the injured one too, he needed even the small bits of strength he had in the broken and crushed fingers – and used it to support his body to be able to stand. Bit by bit, he managed to put himself in between the Dark Lord and the girl whose eyes were bulging and blood-shot now.

The curse was cancelled. _Good!_

"You have always been a stubborn one, Severus." There was a hint of respect in the monster's voice. That's all he was hoping for. Maybe enough for him to be listened to. _Just please listen to me and don't hurt her!_

"Yes, my Lord. I only meant to say that I can't blame her for Willington and Nott being stupid enough to step into my wards. I believe she was simply looking for me to surrender the wand to and find help for the man and then got attacked by the three other guards. You see, she did not even hurt them, only rendered them harmless. Furthermore, she did not set free any of the other prisoners, although it would make her attempt much easier if she really intended to escape. I also believe it would be simply too big of a coincidence for her enter just the room where I was residing at the time. I still trust I trained her well. She did nothing against my orders," he finished with difficulty as he could hardly breathe, let alone speak. This needed to be played perfectly. This needed to work out. _She has to live!_

"I never considered you to be naive, Severus, and if you really believe this... You surely cannot expect that level of good manners from a simple slut though," the Dark Lord laughed but there was no humour to it.

"I only believe in my skills, my Lord," Severus bowed his shaking head again, praying silently.

"What a challenge! Why not see for ourselves?! I am sure that would be quite the spectacle!" the thing cackled again and Severus dreaded the consequences of this.

Still guffawing, the noseless monster pointed his wand at Hermione - Severus looked for his wand desperately but it was out of his reach, the black wood lying innocently several feet away where it had clattered after he was hit by the curse - and cast Finite Incantatem.

 _THANK MERLIN!_

The girl fell down on the floor, shaking and still weak. _What the fuck is the creature planning?!_

"Here, girl, take it!" the Dark Lord threw one of the wands he'd taken from her back in the direction of her hands. She caught it even in her dazed state. _A true witch!_ She watched the wood, dumbfounded, still not moving or speaking.

The dark wizard then waved his wand at the door in the opposite wall, unlocking it and there were several other creaks of doors being opened in distance. Then he set his red eyes on the girl, still scrunched beside him on the floor.

"The path is clear; you may leave if you wish so. You won't be punished for it and no one will hinder you. The doors are now open and unguarded the whole way to the exit," the Dark Lord extended his hand towards the door in silent invitation and Severus' breath caught in his throat. His heart skipped several beats.

He knew the Dark Lord was lying. The girl would be caught by the wards even if the doors were really open and unsupervised. She did not have the Mark and was not permitted to cross the boundaries in this direction. She would be killed on the spot. But she couldn't know that...

He eyed her, dreading what she would decide; one step in the opposite direction and he would be killed, that he was convinced of. He had talked back to the thing. If he was proven wrong now, his confidence false, ridiculing himself, not even his standing usefulness would save him. One step in the opposite direction and she would be as good as dead too. There was only one right choice but there was no way he could warn her of that.

All he could do was stare into her confused, beautiful brown eyes and plead with her silently, trying to make her see the true motives for this theatrical display. The consequences. _Just bring the wand to me. Please..._

She was returning his stare, considering, evaluating, planning, analyzing. He had never seen anyone thinking so visibly. He could tell exactly the moment she reached her decision, the determined sparks appearing in her eyes.

Beads of sweat were collecting on his forehead when she finally moved, standing up slowly and cautiously. _Just don't run away. Please, don't..._

She made a step. Then another. Both in his direction! He started breathing again. _Just please, give me the wand. Don't attack anyone. Don't run..._

He nearly flinched when she kneeled in front of him, her head bowed, the wand in her outstretched hand and obviously offering it for him to take.

The wave of relief made Severus sway on his feet and he nearly collapsed again. _They will both live_ _to_ _day_ _!_ She understood. She was as brilliant as he knew she was!

Not letting his face betray any of his emotions, he took the wand from her brusquely.

"Good. Now go back to your cell, close the door and wait for me there. You know the way now. I will see you when my duties are fulfilled here," he ordered her. It was the only place in here he was somewhat certain she would be safe.

Without hesitation or even a glance at him, she left the room and headed back to the dungeon.

"It doesn't happen often that I would underestimate someone, my friend. That was rather impressive, even for you. Let's forget about this little episode, shall we?" the Dark Lord said nonchalantly and Severus' heart started beating normally at last. _He is one lucky bastard, really! She will be safe..._

"I will deal with the guard myself later. They were getting on my nerves anyway... And even if Willington and Nott don't make it, you still brought three followers to me recently. Therefore there is still one more than we used to have. Hopefully they would not be as stupid as to step into unknown wards. One would have to be half-Squib to not feel those from several feet ahead. But I still expect you to put them down tonight, Severus!" There was an unmistakable order in the last sentence and Snape bowed his head deeply in agreement.

His head stayed lowered until he received permission to sit and continue the session. _They have made it!_

He slumped in the chair and fought hard to not fall asleep in his exhausted state. Falling asleep by the Dark Lord's right hand was not a thing one would survive, regardless of his previous dumb luck.

He kept flexing his crushed hand, curling the broken fingers around the beating stone in his pocket. He used the pain to keep him awake and tried hard to listen to what was said. He could not even afford to heal himself now. It would have to wait. Everything was fine now. She was safe and waiting for him. This nonsense would end...

* * *

The session ended finally and he knew he had to take care of the girl. That and cancel the wards. There was no room to risk losing the little favour of the monster that he still had.

Snape was trudging in the direction of the dungeons, putting one leg in front of the other with difficulty and breathing hard. He had to stop several times to rest a bit and to wipe the sweat out of his eyes so he could actually see where he was heading. The few yards had never taken him so long to cross...

The two Death Eaters were not stupid or half-Squibs. There was no way to detect the wards from afar; Severus had fully intended to fry anyone who even attempted to come near her and giving them a warning would only result in them trying to get her from a distance. He was rather proud of his skills in this field. Had he not been an expert in this, Longbottom would have long been exposed and dead by now for crossing the wards at Hogwarts constantly. Needles to say, he'd produced the best he was capable of to protect the girl, weaving Cruciatus, Petrificus and Shock Curse into the magical web to disable anyone who would dare to enter her cell.

He had used the same principle that he was accustomed to at Hogwarts; not permitting anyone uninvited to enter without feeling the consequences but letting everyone leave at any time. So the guard likely wanted to go in to see her, somehow overcoming the Notice-Me-Not Spell, and she simply used the opportunity and his wand... But why would Willington want to enter? The jailers were not supposed to take care of her... He would have to find out somehow.

Choosing to take care of the girl first and only then remove the wards - his priorities were very clear about this - he opened the door and immediately saw her curled on the mattress, his cloak draped around her shaking form. _He let her get tortured. It_ _was_ _his fault she_ _wa_ _s_ _hurting now..._ A painful jolt went through his heart, making the Cruciatus after-effects seem laughable.

The after-effects... He had to give her the potion as soon as possible. It had to be taken within two hours of the curse being cast and it was already at least one hour gone. He only had one dose and no time to get another but he did not hesitate even for a second about just who should receive it. _She cannot hurt_. He could endure the annoying, constant twitching and pain even for the two weeks that it usually lasted considering the time he'd spent under the spell today. He had had it before. He was used to it. Everything was fine now.

Seeing him approach, she immediately stood up and got to her knees in front of him, shaking. Her eyes were wide, obviously fearing him, and his chest constricted even tighter. She looked so broken and scared. _It was his damn fault..._

* * *

 _Beta read by Pirocantha - Long Live the Girl! The saviour of my grammar and your sanity!_

 _Thank you all for reading and - please? - reviewing!_


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Hermione dragged her feet back through the corridors, passing the still unconscious guards - no one had killed them, obviously - the lines of cells and then the alleged wards around her 'home'. There were no limp bodies around. She still couldn't feel the wards and nothing hurt her while she slowly crossed through the open door, making her doubt everything once again.

Sitting on her mattress, she wrapped the cloak around her naked, aching body and supported her pounding head with her weary hands. Maybe she'd chosen wrong. Maybe she had just let herself be controlled by guilt. Maybe she had been tricked... The whole conversation she'd had with Snape the night he had given her the Vow replayed in her head for what must have been the millionth time.

He'd promised he would try to release them from prison yet he never swore it would not be just to move them to another. Back to Malfoy Manor for instance; his little blond friend would surely enjoy that. Plus, 'release' did not necessarily mean he would not try to get them all killed. Dead people are always free...

Yes, he'd vowed he would never hurt her too but he did not say he wouldn't ask someone ELSE to kill her for him. That would solve his 'freeing' her from the Bond too, right?

Furthermore, the question about the boys was badly phrased too, she thought, angry at herself. 'What happened to the boys' was not 'What is going on with Ron and Harry now'. _Of course he wouldn't know about all that had ever happened to them! She was so stupid!_ She pulled at her hair angrily with her shaking fingers.

Snape had also claimed he had never betrayed Dumbledore. How can you betray someone you have never been loyal to in the first place though?! It's not a betrayal but a successful mission if he was ordered to do it by his true Master: Voldemort.

Sure, Dumbledore perhaps WAS dying, but even the old wizard had admitted he could be mistaken. Mistaken enough to be manipulated by the spy to order Snape to kill him. 'He needed someone loyal to him to take care of the school' but it did not mean he had selected the correct person, right? Charging him with their protection even... The man probably laughed himself half unconscious when the Headmaster had told him that...

The sword was obviously truly hidden by Snape - he said that directly - but he could have simply wanted to hide it or use it as a trap to kill them. Very nearly succeeding at that. Frozen lake as a transfer place? Really? With a heavy sword that couldn't be summoned?

'I was helping you to succeed in your mission to defeat the Dark Lord'. Was. Past tense. Yes, in their first or second year maybe when he did not know who he was fighting against. Not now. He never said it was for the whole time. He never said 'I am helping you'...

'I wish for the order to win this war' echoed through her head again. He didn't say the Order of the Phoenix. He could have easily meant Voldemort's Order. The rightful order for the world in his opinion. The Order was not too orderly, she had to admit even to herself. Furthermore, his assurances about him not wanting to hurt her could simply mean he was repulsed by her physically, not wanting to do it with her more often than he was ordered to. It hurt her ego a bit but it was certainly possible...

Her head swam. She staged her and the boys' lives on hope. Her wish that he really was who she hoped he was. HOPE! What a fool she was!

Slow footsteps echoed in the distance, nearing to her cell. Snape... He was going to visit her again, as he'd promised. Rape her again.

He was going to be angry for sure; he'd been tortured and nearly killed because of her, if her evaluation of the events could be trusted. He was bound to be furious in that case... _It will hurt today_ , she thought and couldn't help but feel scared. Afraid of what would happen now.

He appeared in the doorway - never moving his wand to dispel any wards, she noted - and she quickly got to her knees in front of him. She hated it but, if he could take a Cruciatus for her, she could kneel for him if it made him feel good about himself. That and she would not enrage him even more at her behavior. It always hurt much more when she resisted him...

But he only stopped and stared at her, never moving or ordering her.

"This is not necessary now, Miss Granger," he told her tiredly, his voice hoarse and weak. Miss Granger today? Hello again, Doctor Jekyll!

"Drink this immediately. It's for the after effect of the Cruciatus Curse," he told her, pulling a small bottle out of his pocket. She watched it doubtfully but it really looked like the potion he had claimed it to be. He had no reason to poison her now and so she took and drank it. She felt the pain and shivers receding as soon as it touched her lips. Good...

She slowly looked back at him, just in time to see as he tried to sit down carefully. However, his legs bucked under him about halfway through the process of bending his knees as a spasm went through him and he fell down quite hard on his bottom. _Well, that had to hurt..._

It never showed on his face though. Nothing did. She would have to ask.

"Are you angry with me?" she questioned quietly.

"No. Not at all, Miss Granger. It could not have ended any better in fact."

IT COULD BE NO BETTER?! What the hell?!

"What do you mean?" she asked carefully, only a slight tremor in her voice. He was not the only one who could hide emotions...

"You reacted perfectly. You have passed the test," he breathily answered. SO IT WAS REALLY ONLY A TEST! A TRICK PLAYED ON HER! He even admitted that openly! Her ears rang, her head pounding.

"It means I am allowed to move you to my home. It will be still guarded and you wouldn't be able to leave the building but it's a bit more comfortable," he informed her, eyeing her carefully.

Yet another prison. Just as she had feared! He had really managed to manipulate the Vow, the bastard!

"The Dark Lord permitted that on just one condition; that you take the Dark Mark," Snape finished, panting and watching her with uncertainty.

SO THAT WAS IT! The whole point of this theatre was to make her believe him and accept the Mark! Everything clicked together in her head with a loud 'clang'. _So that was the big 'WHY' that she had been missing the whole time! That's why it was all done to her! To trick her into betraying the Order! They wanted to make her one of them, a slave of Voldemort till the end of her life! As if the Bond was not enough! She_ _w_ _ould_ _be used even more!_

 _No, she won't do that_ _, t_ _hank you very much._

Still, she was careful not to show anything in her face. She simply nodded as if she was actually considering the offer. It was worth the risk. He was weak, lulled by her previous obedience. It could work. _She could make it this time!_

Giving him no warning at all, she launched as quickly as she could towards his hand, resting in his lap and holding the wand loosely. She put her weight on one of his legs that were outstretched towards her and that made him gasp and curl slightly, moving his wand even closer to her. His bruised right hand managed to only brush against hers weakly while he had troubles pointing the wand at her with his left. Luckily, he was not fast and strong enough this time and she wrestled the wood out of his clumsy, cold and shaking fingers.

There was no room full of Death Eaters to stop her. No Voldemort to play with her. It was only them now. _She will free herself today._

She was looking into his dark, bloodshot eyes, his own wand pointed at his neck. The Cutting Curse would do, she had practiced it a lot during her pitiful cooking attempts. She knew what it could do. Where to cast it.

 _Goodbye, Pig!_

* * *

 _Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, but I cannot promise anything, unfortunately :-(  
_

 _Thanks to Pirocantha for beta reading and thanks to all of you who have found the time to review!_


	25. Chapter 25

_Many thanks and eternal glory to Liesl Snake, Pirocantha, Brooklynhills, Emmaficready, Fantomette34, Violet97mc, Sassyluv, Lianore, Darque Hart and FrancineHibiscus who review regularly and motivate me greatly into writing!_

* * *

CHAPTER 25

It happened so quickly he had no time to react properly. His right hand was useless and his left weak and spasming. He could hardly hold his scream as she dumped her full weight on his strained leg that had buckled under him a few moments ago and hadn't stopped torturing him by that time.

 _One second they are talking - she even let him explain a bit over the offer that was available - and the next she is attacking him like an angry cat. Clever girl, waiting for the best moment to strike, catching him by surprise._

A perfect actress too, much better than he ever had been. She had looked so scared and meek when she had kneeled in front of him... _Maybe it will work for her. Maybe she will get to be free. She is brilliant and surely has a plan._

She had his wand pointed at him and he stared into her big beautiful almond-shaped eyes, submitting himself to their brown depths. _There are far worse ways to go. He will die happy looking into those eyes..._

Her eyes narrowed then and he caught the movement of his wand in the corner of his half blackened vision. _No, that is wrong! Wait!_

"No! Not that. Use the Cruciatus."

That made her stop, her eyes widening. _Did she not think about that?_

"If you get caught by a chance, they will kill you as soon as they discover you murdered me. If you use Crucio, it would look like I died on my own from the after effects of the Dark Lord's curses. You could claim you panicked when I collapsed and ran for help. Break the wand if you see they are about to get you, so it cannot be used as a proof against you, if you manage it in time. If not, say the last spell was cast by me to punish you for your escape attempt." He had to pause for a second to catch his breath. _If his fortune holds, she will be patient with him and will hear him out before she does it. Please, just don't get yourself killed...  
_

"I will likely not scream but you should better cast Silencio on the cell first, just to be sure. The guards at the exit from the dungeons were still unconscious when I passed them but I don't know when they will send the next group to replace this one," he warned her. She only stared at him, willing to let him speak. Good. He needed to tell her a few more things before he would go...

"Hopefully you will get reassigned to the new potion maker who will take my place in the Inner Circle after my death. Do everything you are able to not to end up with Dolohov. If it is does happen, make sure you won't show him you are scared, no matter what he does. If he sees you are not afraid, he will not bond with you. He is a coward," he explained to her, hoping it would not come to that. She was listening, paying attention. It was good!

"Potter and Weasley are being kept in a cell on the third floor, together with Ollivander and a goblin, Griphook. Take first the door to the right, then twice left and then three staircases up. Then turn left every time until you reach it. They are even more heavily guarded than you are though. There are units of four Death Eaters placed just after the third door, before the second staircase and then at every turn on the third floor." He observed her, her features frowned, obviously remembering everything he had said. _Clever girl, really._

"The Dark Lord allegedly experimented on them, perhaps tortured them too. They will likely be in no shape for running. Give them those if you reach them, it should help." He slowly inserted his healthy - _no, healthier!_ \- hand into his pocket and pulled out its content. The potions. "This should heal most of their wounds. Just don't give the Pepper-Up to the goblin, if you don't want to kill him, as it is highly toxic for them." Still she listened. Good. _Maybe she WILL make it_.

"The reason why you all are still here is that I have not managed to discover a way to overcome the wards yet. They would kill you as soon as you step through them without the Mark or the Dark Lord spelling his permission into your very magic. I would bet on the goblin to think of something, they usually know a lot about warding. Make him promise his UNIVERSAL help to ALL of you BEFORE you set him free."

"When you get them moving and cooperating, it's twice left, once straight, four times right and one stairs down until you reach the southern exit. Beware the guards. Under no circumstances turn left before the stairs; it leads directly into the Dark Lord's chambers. Be quiet around there," he said, closing his eyes briefly in exhaustion. This was draining. But he had one more thing to do before she could proceed.

"Finally and most importantly, give this to Potter as soon as you destroy all the Horcruxes," he told her and fumbled ineptly for an empty bottle in the mess that had spilled out of his pocket. If only he was not shaking so badly... Fortunately, she was patient with him even now and let him do it in his own pace. A very slow and shaky pace at the moment. It was the most difficult part so far. He really did not want to remember this as he was dying. He didn't want Lily's dead body still phantomly resting on him as he was breathing his last... Yet he had promised.

His forehead creasing, he focused on the right memories and pushed them out. Pushed so hard that the silvery strands formed corporally and he could bottle them haphazardly in the small glass container. It hurt but it was simply the meaning and content of his life to hurt. It was fair he would die the way he had lived. He was ready now. She could do it.

Crucio... But it would not hurt so much if it was from her, he was sure of that. _It will be good._ Putting the bottle carefully as far from him as he could reach so he would not damage it when he convulsed, he folded his hands across his body, hugging himself. This was good.

Severus granted himself one last look into her wide beautiful eyes.

 _She will get free. Happy. Without him. She is a good witch. Hermione..._

He closed his heavy eyelids. He was done. He was ready to go. The fight was finally over...

The darkness swallowed him in seconds.

* * *

 _So this was a chapter of only Severus talking, Hermione listening. A bit strange, I guess... _Hope you don't mind too much and leave a review for me to enjoy!__

 _ _The next chapter will be uploaded in two days to compensate for this shorter one - thanks to Pirocantha, the best beta reader in the world!__

 _Thank you all for reading!_


	26. Chapter 26

_This story now has over 30 000 views... That's just... WOW! Thank you so much, you are the best readers ever!_

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CHAPTER 26

Hermione was staring at the limp form of the man who had been raping her for the last two weeks. She was still in shock, her mind reeling wildly. She was ready to kill him, damn! Kill him, turn on her heel, find an escape route and then never tell anyone of what had happened to her here. Not even to her children that she would have one day - with someone else!

But now she couldn't. Not when he was slumped there helplessly in front of her on the cold floor, looking more dead than alive. Not in that way, torturing him to death, ripping away the little bits of life he was clutching onto so fiercely with his broken and mauled fingers. Not after what he had said.

He was the strangest man she had ever met, including Voldemort even. _Who in the world suggests the best ways to kill himself to his murderer so the attacker_ _c_ _an_ _escape unpunished?_ What was more, he had a very valid point at that. She would never have thought of it herself... _Does he really like pain so much that he wants it to be his parting with the world in such an extreme form?_

Furthermore, the next moment he was telling her where to find and how to free the boys! Of course, he could be lying and giving her the directions to Voldemort's bedchamber or luring her into some nasty trap but there were so many details in the description that it sounded trustworthy... Plus he would not have said anything if he simply wanted her to fail in her escape attempt, right?

She remembered passing the wards on her way inside, he was not lying about that. She would be killed then if she simply stepped into them without any warning.

It really looked like he wanted her to escape and save the boys too, giving her potions to heal them even. But why, by the four Founders?! Just so she could give this 'message' to Harry?! At least it really looked like her friend was alive, for Snape probably wouldn't want her to give anything to a dead person...

She observed the small bottle near the Death Eater's unconscious body - or she supposed he was unconscious or just resting as his chest kept rising and falling in a semi-regular rhythm but he still hadn't moved. It was full of a dimly shining, pure white substance that moved constantly around, reminding her of sea waves. She had never seen them before but she was quite sure there were memories stored in that bottle. Snape's memories. Memories he wanted Harry of all people to see.

She nearly squeaked aloud when she heard the man mentioning Horcruxes. He was Voldemort's right hand man, so she supposed that if anyone else had been told, it would have been him... Still, it was stunning to hear him confirm he knew about their mission. He knew they wanted to kill his Master and yet he looked so at peace about her planning to murder him! He even looked rather happy - yes, HAPPY! - right before he had closed his eyes a few minutes ago.

There were simply too many questions. Question she could not afford to leave unanswered. She needed to talk to him.

"Snape?" She tried waking him up.

Nothing. He did not move.

"Snape! Wake up!" she called, louder this time.

She pointed his wand at him determinedly. The black wood was humming in her hand reassuringly, full of magic. It was a strange thing, really. It felt nearly _friendly_ towards her!

"Enervate!"

The man's body jerked as the spell sizzled against his chest, absorbed by his flesh, and Snape abruptly slid down the wall he was supported against by his back. There was an ugly thud when his head collided with the hard stone floor and Hermione flinched. _Oo_ _ps_ _! That was not how unconscious people should be roused..._ But at least she now knew he was really out and not just playing a trick on her, baiting her into coming closer to take his wand back.

Still, the man did not wake - or he had but was immediately knocked out again by his fall. _Or rather by her not very well thought-out actions,_ she guessed with a slight cringe. _She need_ _s_ _to think first before she acts, damn!_

Taking a deep breath, she waved the wand and levitated the Death Eater onto her mattress, turning and lying him face-down, so he would not land on the injury she had just caused him, which had left a big, bloody stain on the floor a few steps away from her. Ugh.

His left hand twitched violently even as he was lying and that reminded her that although Petrificus and Cruciatus don't go well together - both were obstructing respiration and, in the state he was in, it could prove fatal - she should better tie him up somehow, just in case he wakes up unexpectedly. Or twitches like that again, possibly hitting her or himself accidentally.

Conjuring ordinary ropes that wrapped themselves around his wrists and ankles, she finally felt safe enough to slowly approach him. He really was dangerous, she had seen that herself many times before; there was no room for being careless in his company, no matter what health condition he appeared to be in.

Sitting herself next to the bed that he had previously occupied and very carefully vanishing the stain of blood so that she would not touch it, she inspected the potions that he had left there for her to take and then wasted no time in removing the rest of the things still residing in his pockets. She had suspected before that he had an extra wand or a weapon of a kind in there and it would be best to move that away from his reach, just in case. _Maybe there will even be something useful for her..._

She piled all the objects she had found - and there were many indeed! - next to the bed and added them to the ones he himself gave her. She searched it for another bottle of After-Cruciatus that would obviously help him the most but there was none to be found. _He gave her the only dose he carried? Why, for Merlin's sake?! Was he hoping to get another in time when he return_ _ed_ _to Hogwarts?_

 _She REALLY has to ask him some questions when he wakes up!_

Not seeing a better choice, she selected the Murtlap Essence and the piece of white gauze that was tangled in the mess. She hoped it would be enough to seal the wound on his head as she did not have any idea of how to do that with magic. _She really has to learn more about Healing if she ever gets out of here... WHEN she gets out of here,_ she corrected herself.

There was a distinctive 'clang' of something being dropped on the floor as she took the gauze out though and it made her look closer at the pile of things. Regular buzzes started echoing throughout the cell and she sat up at that, trying to ascertain the source.

The frequency of the vibrations got even quicker as her breathing quickened and she raised her wand, prepared to fight back if she was attacked or cursed. But there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary in front of her - just a few potion bottles, a small knife, a Muggle pen, a piece of parchment and a black stone that probably got pushed here by Snape's fall.

Wait, it wasn't! Although it did indeed look to be at home in the cell, she did not remember it from her close observations. The shape simply was not right and it was not one of the four that still remained here... It had to have arrived with the professor.

It was the stone that was the source of the buzzes, she concluded finally, watching it closely. It was cursed in some way. _But in what way, Merlin?! Will it stun or harm her if she touches it? But then Snape would not carry it in his pocket just like that, would he? Exactly how dangerous could that be?_ It did not feel to be spelled with Dark magic as far as she could tell...

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as she was thinking hard. The heartbeat... It sounded like it was in exactly the same rhythm as the stone did, mirroring it precisely. Her heart... The stone was mirroring her heart!

Hermione reached for it hesitantly, lifting it from the ground. The beats quickened along with her pulse. So that's how Snape had known she was bleeding out... He was monitoring her pulse through this thing, spying on her!

 _She would likely be dead if it was not for this stone,_ it occurred to her suddenly. _Snape_ _had_ _saved her that day and she was about to kill him now... Kill a person just to free herself. How selfish_ _could she_ _get, really?_

His motives were still rather unclear to her but this was quite obvious; he was a bad person, he hurt her badly and he planned to trick her into betraying all she had ever believed in but she could not kill him. If she does not kill him, however, she could not run anywhere; she could not escape like that and not die within a few days...

Damn, there was no good way out of this!

 _She ha_ _d_ _to speak to him_ _! T_ _hen she_ _w_ _ould_ _know better_ , she decided. _But first do something with the blood still oozing from his head, Merlin! Focus, Hermione, really!_

Angry at herself for getting distracted by the stone and slipping into one of her thinking fits at the wrong time, she put the stone inside one of the cloak's pocket quickly and grabbed the gauze and the bottle with the Essence again. Hopefully it would work...

She dabbed the wound carefully a few times and felt a wave of relief go through her as it started healing immediately. The skin knitted together and the blood disappeared, slowly being absorbed by the cloth, hiding the 'accident' she had caused.. With some luck, he would never notice it when he woke up.

Turning him so that he would lie on his back with a flick of the wand, she applied a bit of it to his forehead too, healing the bloody scratch that he had suffered when he'd hit it during the torture session with Voldemort.

She was about done with that when there was a quiet groan from the man and she found herself being watched by a pair of dark eyes. She dropped the cloth immediately and hastily backed away from him, gripping the wand tightly and pointing it at his neck again.

Damn! The man was immortal!

* * *

 _Beta read by Pirocantha, the Awesome!_

 _Thank you all for reading and reviewing :-)  
_


	27. Chapter 27

_Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, guys!_

* * *

CHAPTER 27

Severus was floating. _No, falling down_ , he corrected himself. Of course, on his way to Hell. Hell was down...

Something hit him and his head hurt even more than before. He had not thought that was humanly possible. _So it begins..._

But then he floated again and landed on something surprisingly soft. Not too bad for the likes of him, surely...

Tender hands were touching his head now, making the pain lessen somehow. That was strange. _Do they heal you in Hell before they torture you again? So you won't die on them? Well, that was not very likely..._

But then he landed on his mauled hand that was stuck underneath his body, resting his full weight on the crushed bones and he changed his opinion. _THAT one really hurt!_

Groaning slightly he made himself open his eyes to see the devil who knew how to do his job so well. Just in time to see Hermione crouching above him, dabbing his forehead with a bloody cloth.

 _What the fuck?!_

 _The fight was not over then. The girl would never ever end up at the same place he did if there was just an ounce of fairness left in the world. Furthermore, she CANNOT be dead!_

 _So what the Hell - literally_ _Hell_ _\- is happening here?!_

"There is no need to test the potions, Miss Granger. I brewed them myself; they are what they appear to be and all of them work splendidly," he assured her hoarsely. There was no reason to waste a good potion, no matter the circumstances. Potions were always good to him...

"Shut up," she told him and he nearly smiled at that. He had forgotten how bossy she could get towards the two dunderheads she inexplicably liked to keep as company.

"You look like an Inferi," she informed him then, matter-of-factly.

"Thank you. You look very nice yourself today," he returned the evaluation although he felt a bit insulted; he was no looker but did he not deserve better right before his end? But again, this was probably going to be the first - and last - openly honest conversation they had ever had. _She surely has a right to tell him what she thinks of him at least once, he surmised._

She only shook her head at him, emitting a noncommittal 'humpf'. No compliments today, then.

Why was there a today for him at all though? She was supposed to be on her way out now and he was supposed to be on his way to Hell.

"Why were you trying to help me to get out?" she asked then and he nearly laughed even through the agony his hand was giving him constantly. _She was curious! CURIOUS! She has not killed him yet because she wants to ASK him QUESTIONS!_

"Didn't I promise to try to get you out of here only a few days back?" he returned the question. She was cleverer than that, really!

"Of course you did, but that was BEFORE! Now, you were about to get killed anyway. Why?" she repeated impatiently, his wand still pointed at him. _It seemed to work for her so far,_ he noticed. _Odd..._ _It ha_ _d never worked for another before._

"I don't see anything different about the situation. I promised to get you out, so I tried to live up to my word. I never conditioned it with my own survival as far as I remember..." he reminded her, cringing slightly as a spasm went through the smashed hand, doubling the pain. _SHIT!_

He closed his eyes tightly and tried to breathe through it, focusing on something else. Her voice. Her voice always worked for him.

"What is in the bottle you gave me for Harry? I know it's memories..." she trailed off.

"Yes... They are... For Potter... Only for Potter... On Dumbledore's order... But only after you are done... Done with the Horcruxes," he managed to push the words through his clenched teeth finally. The hand tried to clench of it's own will under him, the spasm making the muscles contract even though there was no room for it to move. He felt cold sweat collecting on his forehead.

"How do you know about the Horcruxes?" She shot him another question.

"Dumbledore," he answered shortly, with one puff of breath. Fuck, this was getting difficult!

"But Dumbledore said that he never shared that with anyone, just Harry, and Harry only told me and Ron about that..." She was talking to herself now obviously. Good. He was in no shape to answer anyway... In no shape to explain that the old man had dropped just enough hints for a clever person with access to the right books to find out.

"What is this thing for? This stone?" came the next question. It made him open his eyes at least a bit to look at her.

 _A stone?_ She had a small dark stone in her palm now, showing it to him from afar. _The stone!_

"It's mine... Give it back!" he tried to order her but it sounded very weak even to him _. How would he know she was safe without it? He would need it in the next world too!_

"What is it for?" she repeated more forcefully, raising the wand in a threatening way. As if she could possibly cause him more pain than he was currently in! Even the Dark Lord would be hard pressed... It was just his stupid body that got used to those levels of suffering - it did not even cooperate with him enough these days to let him faint from it as normal people would. Not that he minded speaking to her terribly much. The pain was not such a horrible price, all things considered...

"Isn't it... clear...? Decoration," he breathed out. _Just return it to me..._

Narrowing her eyes at him, she flicked the wand at him, making him rise into the air a few inches, shake him slightly, and then fall down on the mattress again, his crippled spasming hand still stuck underneath his body. Obviously, he had underestimated her thoroughly!

There was a somewhat muffled crack as his ring finger - the only one on his right hand that had remained unbroken till then - snapped too and he cringed at that, his breath pushed out of his lungs both by the impact and by the new wave of blinding pain.

"Snape?" came her voice. She had never called him that before. But he had no way to answer the call, the pain not allowing him to fill his lungs with air just yet.

"Snape? Are you alright?" she asked again after a while and it was so funny it actually made him laugh this time, although it sounded very choked and quickly changed into a muffled coughing fit. _Well, she knew how to make him restart breathing, that was certain!_

"It's not funny! I heard something snap!" she informed him urgently and he laughed again. _As if she did not know! She was chained just next to him when the Dark Lord took a walk across his hand, wasn't she?_

"You have... tied... my hands... behind my... back," he reminded her finally of her torture methods with shaky breaths in between the words when she still kept waiting for the answer. There was no need to prolong this, was there?

There was a squeak next to his bed that made him open his hurting eyes again. She was only a few inches away from him now, her face creased with worry. Why?! It was not like she cared for any part of him.

"Damn, your hand! You haven't healed it yet?"

 _Of course not. How could he? He came for her as soon as he was allowed. The injuries were rather minor until now..._

He only shook his head to let her know, he had no strength nor will to explain.

He felt himself be lifted again, his hands untied and folded on his stomach instead before the ropes entwined around his wrists again. Then she put him down in a surprisingly gentle manner. Now that was strange. Not that he was complaining...

"I am so sorry. I...didn't mean to... I forgot." She sounded rather shaken now. He eyed the hand cautiously. Well, it did not look pretty, admittedly. Yet it was not like he would ever need it again, was it?

He only shrugged his shoulders slightly. It was much better now.

His heavy eyelids were closing again - he might very well answer the questions without the pain that even the weakest beam of light caused to his head - when he felt her hands gently touching his.

Touching him?! Of her own free will? That had never happened before and he felt a jolt of happiness go through him. She knew how to apologize! She really was perfect... Too bad she was not meant for him...

But then she started to heal his hand, fixing the bones and even the skin! Why, for fuck's sake?!

"I have no idea why you are bothering yourself with that, Miss Granger," he told her. It was useless indeed. She should better use the time, kill him and run if she did not have any more questions.

But she only continued in her efforts.

"You will need it for your potions, won't you? As far as I know, they are hard to brew with just one hand..." He could only stare at her.

 _Potions? There were no potions here... Does she really want to let him live? Is the girl crazy?!_

* * *

 _Many thanks to Pirocantha for helping with this again despite her busy schedule!  
_

 _Reviews and feedback are always much appreciated and welcome O:-)_


	28. Chapter 28

_There were so many wonderful review for the last few chapters... I love you, guys!_

 _Some of you have commented on Hermione not being very stable - and you are right! Merlin, she is a rape victim in a stressful situation, clever - therefore seeing all the aspects and risks of her decisions - and only 18 years old! She needs to grow up and she will as the story progresses; just be patient with her and give her the time, please :-)_

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CHAPTER 28

Hermione was staring at the bruised and bloody mess that used to be a hand and couldn't really believe her eyes. She had never seen an injury looking so awful; the skin was blotched, swollen, bloody and coloured all shades of red, pink, purple and blue. But that was not even the worst of it by far...

The misshapen, broken digits were shaking and twitching constantly, forming themselves into a morbid claw, obviously still spasming along with the whole limb. The tissue was ruptured where the bones had broken, likely by the pressure the spasms were putting on the muscles, and bones were protruding through the skin. It was her work, at least partially. She was the one to blame if he would never be able to move it again. She had done this to him...

She was so angry at him just moments ago! First he was being sarcastic over her appearance, the jerk - it was not her fault she looked the way she did; there was hardly a hair brush or any make-up around here, was there? - and then he even laughed at her, the cheeky bastard! Ridiculing her and making fun of her questions! She was the one that was armed here at the moment. He was at her mercy! Even that did not get the man to behave like a civil person should!

She only wanted to shake him a bit to remind him she was not as helpless as she used to be. To make him listen to her finally. Not to break his bones and crush his hand even more.

She blinked a few times to get rid of the suspicious stinging in the corners of her eyes. _She_ _was_ _NOT about to cry for this man! He will NOT use her guilt against her ever again!_

Still, she had to do what she could to correct the consequences of her actions. _She_ _c_ _ould_ _heal at least some of this._

Braving herself, she slowly reached out to his bound hands, watching him closely. His eyes were shut again, skin pale and beads of sweat slowly trickling down his forehead in the direction of his black hair. He still sounded like he was having trouble breathing, but that painful expression - the first that had appeared there during the whole day - was gone from his face now. _You can do it_. _Just touch him. It's your fault he is hurting now. Take responsibility finally, Hermione!_ she ordered herself and let her fingers rest on his bruised and bloody skin, fearing his reaction.

He only opened his eyes slowly and stared at their touching hands, not saying anything.

 _Well, she_ _wa_ _s_ _not a Gryffindor for nothing!_

Moving his fingers gently until they seemed straight and in the right places, she held them firmly so they would not twitch at the wrong moment and cast "Episkey" at each, praying she was doing the right thing and eyeing him occasionally for signs of pain. They never showed, he only watched her without concern. A "Scourgify" came next - she needed to see what were the scratches and ruptures and what was just his dried blood. She stored his wand in the cloak's pocket for the moment, took the bottle of Murtlap and had just managed to dab the gauze in it again when she was startled by his voice.

"I have no idea why you are bothering yourself with that, Miss Granger." He sounded nearly bored, the jerk!

Not caring for his opinion too much at that moment, she simply continued her work and started healing the skin.

"You will need that hand for your potions, won't you? As far as I know, they are hard to brew with just one ..." she answered, her eyes never leaving the mauled hand, hoping she could really mend it well enough for the limb to actually start working again one day.

"Miss Granger, what exactly are you planning to do?" he asked her carefully.

"Fix you, obviously. Then ask some more questions." _Then we will see. I still have time to figure something out._

He went silent for a while and she was grateful for that. She needed to focus now. The hand was looking much better now, only the swelling and discolouring hinting at it being so horribly damaged recently.

Now the rest of him... She observed the bottles of potions that were lined beside her. She had no idea which ones to give him safely, except the Pain Killer. She took that one, uncorked it and offered it to him to drink. He didn't take it, though; he only watched her with his blank stare.

"What?" she asked him, hoping it would prompt him to act finally.

"This one would put me to sleep in minutes. Not very good if you really want to ask anything today," he informed her drily. _Oh, how wise that man could be!_ she thought, annoyed.

"Fine. Which ones are safe and good enough for you to take then?"

"The first and third from the right." She reached her hand towards the small bottles and had just touched the first - she had no idea what it was - when he continued.

"They are poisons." Her hand froze in the air. "Give any of them to me if you can't do it yourself. I never had you for a coward, really," he finished, making her flinch. He was so cold, the bugger! Why did he want to die so much anyway?!

"I am not a coward!" she defended herself. She was the brave one here!

"Then do what is necessary. You cannot run and leave me behind. Even if you manage to escape, you will die in three days and I fully expect the Dark Lord to restrain me and force me to live for exactly that long to make sure of that. You will never get free unless the Bond is broken. You cannot close your eyes to this. Don't be stupid," he added mockingly.

She knew he was trying to bait her, making her do his bidding again, but that did not stop her from getting angry at him, try as she might to stay calm.

"How very clever and nice you are, caring about me so. Heart wrenching, really. And here I thought you were planning for us to live together in your house, happily ever after, like the nice couple of good Death Eaters we would be!" Her voice raised slightly.

"I didn't suspect that sharing my living space would be so torturous for you. A mistake in my judgment obviously. Still, you would be no Death Eater," he responded, his voice cold, uncaring.

"Liar! You told me yourself only an hour ago that I would have to accept the Mark to be released from here!" she reminded him, angrily. The gall of this man!

"Sure, a Mark. But not the Dark Lord's. Mine. You would be no Death Eater then," he explained and she could only gape at him.

What?! Was he aspiring to become the next Dark Lord? Recruiting his own servants?!

"What does that mean?" she asked. She had never heard of anything like that.

"Anyone can give Dark Marks, same as anyone can accept them. The Dark Lord is not special in that. The curse is quite simple in itself even. He ordered me to brand you so that you could be trusted fully to obey. Not that the Mark would actually _make_ you obey me..." he trailed off, still rather breathy.

 _So why does he want it in that case? It's not like_ _she_ _ha_ _s_ _ever had it, is it?_ She frowned.

"What _would_ it make me do then?"

"Nothing as such, really, except giving you the directions to my current position in case I would want to summon you to myself – I highly doubt it would ever happen though. All it ever truly does is hurt when the caster wishes but the Dark Lord, in his glorious obtuseness, believes pain to be the most motivating sentiment in the world. Hence his liking for that curse."

"Hurt? All the time?" She glanced worriedly at his left hand where she knew the Mark was etched into his skin. She had never seen it herself, only knew about it being there from Harry. Snape did not look to be in pain at the moment, but then he never had even under the Cruciatus...

"Not all the time; at least not unless you have fallen out of favour with the Master of the Mark for a reason so he or she would want to be punishing you constantly. You could ask Lucius Malfoy about that one day, he would know. It hurts while a person is being summoned or punished through it. It also causes considerable pain when it is received or if the Master dies; most of the Death Eaters faint in seconds after being branded actually. Most of us also lost consciousness when the Dark Lord fell several years ago," Snape explained, obviously deep in thoughts and memories.

Hermione could only stare ahead of herself. This was NOT what she wanted for herself, ever. She was NOT going to be Snape's slave. Slave of pain...

"It would not be like that for you though." Snape interrupted her musings. "You would simply have to endure the initial pain, I would provide a potion to help you with that. It will also hurt when I die. However, I have to warn you it would never truly disappear, not even after my death. But otherwise, you would not know about it's existence. You could even pick the place of marking and the shape of it, should you so wish, making it look like an ordinary tattoo to everyone but us. Then you would be allowed to leave this place finally."

There was a minute of silence as Hermione's mind processed all this new information.

But then the man lying in front of her broke the silence. "Someone is coming here, Miss Granger!"

She flinched, a jolt of panic going through her chest, constricting it.

 _Damn!_

* * *

 _Pirocantha edited this one on her birthday - imagine that! There will be never enough thanks to send to her!  
_

 _Leave a review for me, if you have the time... Each and every of them (even the bad ones; they mean that you care too!) always casts a Smiling Charm on me! :-))_


	29. Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Severus was watching the girl's face and could only admire her restraint; he would bet his left hand that, should it be Potter sitting by his side today, he would not have lived through the things he had said. Assuming the brat actually managed to produce a proper spell, of course.

Hermione was as far from Potter as anyone could get though - having a brain was difference number one for sure - and she remained calm even during his provocations intended to make her kill him finally and save herself. Furthermore, she was thinking now. Thinking even after the horrors he truthfully described the Marking to be. She was actually considering this and that made his heart swell in hope. She would be safe at Spinner's End. No one would force him to put down the wards there, ever. It was the only way they both could survive this, at least for the time being. _She could stay there, secure, till this madness ends and he will die, finally._

But then Severus heard the creak of the door to the jail chamber and the distant footsteps approaching. FUCK!

"Someone is coming here, Miss Granger!" he warned the girl and saw her eyes widen and her body stiffen in alarm immediately. There was not time for panic though.

"Undress me!" he ordered her quietly yet emphatically.

"What?!" she asked, gaping at him.

"If you wish this little coup of yours to remain just between us and not to alert the whole Fortress in minutes, _you will undress me_!" he whispered sharply.

Still, she only stared at him.

"NOW, Miss Granger!" They really did not have the time for this.

"H-how? How much?" she stammered shakily, her eyes wide. She really looked scared.

"Unbutton my shirt and pull down my pants at the very least. Quickly!" he ordered. They did not have more than a minute left.

She moved finally, placing her shaking hands on his chest. _Doesn't she know the spell for this?_

Probably not, he surmised, as she started unbuttoning his shirt with clumsy fingers. _Not that it wasn't pleasant_ , he admitted to himself. In different circumstances, this would make for the best and most erotic dream he had had in years...

He watched as she battled with his belt, her face bright red and evidently trying to look anywhere else but at him - no wonder, really - but there was no other way around this. Or not one he could think of so quickly...

When he finally felt his pants being pulled down to his tied ankles - she had left his boxers in place, unsurprisingly, but that should not matter hopefully - she raised her fearful eyes to meet his, evidently awaiting further instruction.

"Good, that might be enough. Now put the wand out of sight and sit on me."

"SIT on YOU?!" she repeated, her expression hinting at what she really thought about his sanity at that moment.

"Yes! Now! Across my hips!" he told her, the urgency making up for his lowered tone. The footsteps were clearly audible by now, only few yards away.

Fortunately, she made up her mind and obeyed at the last possible second; just in time for the guard to arrive and see her moving body bumping slightly into his hips as she finished her movement, the Death Eater cloak around her covering the rest of his boxers, so he hopefully appeared naked under her.

The guard stopped his walk abruptly as he glimpsed into the cell, staring at them rudely. He had a reason to, Severus surmised, they were quite a sight; Severus Snape, the Potion Master, Headmaster of Hogwarts, half-naked and tied up under a beautiful girl dressed only in a Death Eater cloak, straddling his lap, with her long bare legs resting at his sides. Her hands were on his chest to keep balance as she landed on him but the guard couldn't know that; to him she probably looked to be caressing him.

Snape shot the Death Eater a look that promised pain and torture.

"Oh, fuck off, Smith! I am well aware your wife has the fantasy of a mountain troll and is about as pretty and heavy but it does not give you the right to gawk at the more fortunate of us. Go and find someone else to wank over at night, you jerk!"

The man still only gaped at them, his mouth slightly open.

Shit!

"I guess you did not hear what had happened to the last person who decided to voyeur on me, did you?!" Snape threatened and raised his bound hands to take hold of his wand that was placed somewhat limply in Hermione's palm, hidden next to the wall and behind the averted side of their piled up bodies. Luckily, she did not resist and did not try to wrestle with him as he pointed the wand, holding it in their joined hands, at the man.

Severus could not be certain who had cast the spell - he was not even touching the wand that was wrapped solely in her hand - but it was definitely the one that he had had in mind, perhaps coincidentally. Either which way, there was a flash and Smith let out a yelp as he was hit with a mild Stinging curse and scurried away quickly.

"Fuck you, Snape! The Dark Lord will know about this!"

"Fine with me! Just look at the last group of guards who dared to complain about me to him! I would search the morgue first, though as that's where they would have dumped the sorry bits of them that were left!" Snape bellowed after the retreating man.

Breathing hard from the effort this had cost him, he looked up at the girl, still poised on him with her eyes wide.

"I am sorry for my language, Miss Granger. Unfortunately this is the only manner of speech the 'people' around here understand..." he explained, hoping she did not think him to be too crude.

She still did not utter a word and he realized he was still holding her hand - and his wand with it - in his. He released her quickly, putting his bound limbs on his now bare stomach again.

Hermione was still seated on him, her beautiful ass and thighs sprawled across his hips, her pussy spread exactly above his cock, separated from it only by the thin fabric of his underwear. The cloak around her parted just enough for him to see a strip of her flat belly and a glimpse of her round firm breasts and areolas. Fuck, she was sexy!

He wouldn't think it physically possible - not after the stress and three rounds of Cruciatus just hours ago - but he could feel his dick starting to stiffen at the sensations her warm weight was giving it and at the sight that was provided to his eyes. However, he rather doubted she would consent to anything that would satisfy that part of his anatomy... Or at least not with any pleasure for him in the action; she had wanted to use the Cutting Curse on him before, damn it! He was NOT going to risk THAT! So it was time for her to move away if he was not about to embarrass them both with this.

"Miss Granger, as comfortable as I suppose your sitting arrangements to be, I rather believe they are not strictly necessary to uphold any more. So if you don't mind terribly... _"_ Fortunately, he did not even have to finish the sentence for her to start moving hastily, removing herself from him in a second. Hopefully, she would not notice the slight bulge she was leaving behind...

Judging by her red complexion and averted eyes, she likely wouldn't. Good, it never hurt to save at least a bit of his dignity.

"Why... Why did you cover for me?" she asked hesitantly after a few moments, during which he had tried to calm himself and control his arousal.

"I suppose I have made my wishes for you to live quite clear already... You getting caught like this would endanger those hopes considerably."

"So you were not lying? Lying about wanting to free me?" Her voice was weak and uncertain.

"I did not lie to you, Miss Granger... Or not too often at least," he corrected himself quickly.

She finally raised her head and met his eyes at that, some of the fight returning to her stare.

"Not too often?!" she repeated, obviously wanting some explanation. Still, he noticed she did not even raise the wand to point at him. Not since she'd climbed off of him...

"Well, it's happened three times as far as I remember. First, you don't look disgusting when you are crying. Then, I really don't think you to be a bitch. I guess I should apologise for that at least now; it was unfortunately necessary to behave that way then as we were being monitored. Finally, I was lying about the stone being used for decorative purposes, but I guess you have figured that one out on your own, anyway..." he trailed off, hoping she would not want to continue that line of questioning.

"So... the boys are really here? Alive?"

 _OF COURSE she would ask about the two morons!_

He sighed.

"Yes, they are. I have not discovered a way around the wards yet to be able to free them. It was very fortunate that you decided not to run away today when the Dark Lord gave you the chance; they would have killed you on the spot as soon as you reached the boundaries even if the doors really were unguarded as the Dark Lord claimed," he told her.

"Are there really wards around the cell? I couldn't feel anything... " she asked then, doubtfully.

"Sure. You can try that for yourself if you want to," he offered.

"Very funny, really..." she said, evidently sarcastic.

"They would not harm _you_ , of course. We two are the only people who are keyed to both enter and leave this space. If you want to see it for yourself, conjure some small animals; I would not even allow those to get in so they would not bother you. Rats or flies would not look too much out of place here, should you wish to test it."

She wanted to test it, obviously, as she waved the wand and conjured four mice at once; she really was good at this, a strong witch indeed. He watched as two of the rodents took the wrong direction and curiously entered the cell through the gaps in between the bars. The next second they were both squeaking horribly and twitching on their backs, evidently in horrible pain. Hermione cringed at that and quickly waved his wand to make them all disappear, her face rather pale.

"Why did you raise them here?" she asked quietly, not looking at him, her eyes still on the place in the bars that the mice had occupied just seconds ago.

"Why else? To protect you from the other Death Eaters. I did not want to risk anything like the incident from the first days to be repeated," he explained patiently, although it was rather obvious he thought.

She looked at him then, confused.

"Incident? What incident?"

"That one where that bastard - Jonathan Stokeworth - broke your ribs and who knows what else when I was not looking, probably somewhere in here, if you remember..." he reminded her.

"What? That wasn't you?" she asked, surprised.

 _WHAT?!_

"Of course it wasn't me!" he defended himself, indignantly. She thought he'd attacked her so brutally and still let him breathe?! What a person this girl was?! "I assure you he paid dearly for what he did to you... Ever since that day I discovered him abusing and neglecting you, I have taken over the guards' duties and instilled the wards, hoping they would never see fit to 'visit' you again... Up until now, it has been working," he explained further and hoped she would answer the unsaid question.

She didn't, only frowned and thought over something.

"What happened today, Miss Granger?" he asked openly, having given up waiting for her to elaborate on her own.

She shot him a look.

"I think it's time you take that pain killer," she informed him and somehow managed to make it sound like an order.

 _That won't do, really. He won't be sleeping there with her above him, not knowing if she_ _would still_ _be there when he wakes up. Not knowing IF he wakes up._

"I would rather not if you don't mind..."

She did not even let him finish that, shoving the bottle to his mouth and pressing at his lips until he surrendered and drank the contents. Immediately, he felt better, the pounding in his head and the persistent ache in his every fiber receding considerably. _Maybe he should_ _not have_ _been fighting so hard against this..._

His eyelids finally gave up under their own weight and he let himself enjoy the respite it gave him. Seeing nothing. Worrying about nothing. _The bed really is rather comfortable and warm..._

His breathing evened out and he thought no more.

* * *

 _Sorry to make you wait longer than usual, guys! Hope you will forgive me eventually!_

 _Many thanks to Pirocantha - she really had to correct a lot in this chapter yet she never told me off!  
_

 _Leave a review for me if you can, please!_


	30. Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

Hermione removed the empty bottle from the man's lips and tiredly sat down beside the bed he was resting on, sighing. _Damn,_ _th_ _at_ _was close. She really needed to think. Think before she does something rash. Think before she nearly kills probably her only ally here. Think without him watching her._

She set her eyes on his limp form resting beside her on her bed and focused on his still naked chest; it was rising and falling regularly, his breathing slightly less labored now.

The chest... She could still feel it under her fingers, warm and firm, crisscrossed by various types of scars from burns to cuts. It was rather obvious where his high pain tolerance came from; he was apparently well used to it, having survived all this - and probably much more that remained hidden or had been healed without a permanent trace.

Hermione took her time to observe the Death Eater as she had never had a proper opportunity to do it before, in spite of having had sex with this man on numerous occasions. There was always a need to hurry. There were always his dark, guarded eyes, watching her vigilantly...

Sure, he was always very slim and no one could call him muscular but now she noticed there was not an ounce of fat on him which made his body lean and surprisingly well-shaped. His bare legs were very pale - same as all his skin - but also straight and not too wiry as she would have expected. Fortunately that... _thing_... of his remained hidden from her, although it was still drawing her eyes towards it's location. She was rather sure she had been able to feel it very well when she was seated on top of him a few moments ago and now she could see that this man REALLY wasn't the same as the one who kicked and hit her so violently two weeks ago. _Of course in case Snape wasn't carrying something else except that in the boxer shorts he had on just now; the sizes were just too different,_ she realized and felt her cheeks becoming hot at that.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember something more from the night, although she had spent the whole time since trying to forget as much of it as possible. The voice. The hands... No, it really was not Snape. It was just her who had credited him for that for the lack of any other suspects. _She really has to think BEFORE she acts, damn!_

Covering her face with her hands, she closed her eyes and the events all replayed in her mind as if recorded on a Muggle film reel. Him giving her the only dose of the After-Cruciatus, although he obviously needed it for himself much more. Him advising her about how to best kill him to get out safely. Him explaining about the boys. Him telling her about the wards and the Marking. Him NOT wanting to tell her about the stone. Him covering for her when the guard came to check on them, not using the various opportunities it provided to him.

He could have taken the wand from her at any moment, yet he had relented it back to her as soon as they were alone. He could have said something. He could have even NOT said something and still she would be lost now, their positions reversed again at the very least but more likely resulting in him being a free person and her a dead body.

Still, he had done none of that. He had acted as if he actually cared for her. CARED!

That was the only logical answer for this, as impossible as it might sound.

Yet Hermione very nearly killed him for it. For trying to get her out of this hell, for saving her from Voldemort and crossing the wards that would have killed her, simply because she did not understand. Because she did not think.

Merlin, the man was not even ANGRY at her! Not after he was tortured because of her. Not even when she'd made him lie on the mauled hand, putting him through some hellish sort of pain for sure.

Of course, he could simply be suicidal. Or a masochist. But it was also likely that he was only telling her the truth. That he was on her side. On THEIR side! The memories for Harry, the potions he wanted to give her to help them all to escape.

Hermione pulled her hands from her face and lifted her head resolutely as she came to a conclusion. _It won't be easy - probably much more difficult than killing him and trying to escap_ _e n_ _ow - but he_ _'d_ _earned a chance if nothing else. A chance to prove her wrong or right about him. He_ _deserve_ _d_ _her trust in him_ _, at least till he does something to betray her._

Raising the dark wand, still humming happily with energy, she waved it at him and the ropes around his wrists and ankles disappeared, making his hands fall to his sides limply. She really did not dare to pull his pants up or button up his shirt again but the temperature of the room was surely uncomfortable to one who was nearly naked. She conjured a simple woolen blanket to cover him; the same she used whenever she felt like knitting for the House Elves in the Gryffindor dormitory back at Hogwarts. Only his head was visible now, his pale skin and prominent nose doing nothing to hide the tiredness that clung to him so heavily - now more than ever before.

He needed his sleep and she needed her time to think. She needed to know what to tell him once he woke up. She needed a plan.

Several hours later, she had it, the sentences clear in her head and her eyes on him, watching as he twitched occasionally even whilst resting. She rather wanted to let him sleep but - if the magical window above the bed could be trusted - the morning was quickly approaching and, if she had counted right, it would be Friday today. A school day. He had to be going.

Not daring to touch him or even get too near to him - he had showed her already that his reflexes were very quick and defensive and she was not about to underestimate him even in this condition - she pointed the wand at him and nearly managed to finish saying the incantation and casting the " _Rennervate_ " when he suddenly sat up and backed away, pressing his back against the wall that halted his movement, startling her profoundly and making the spell sizzle against the empty bed.

 _Ouch!_

* * *

 _A short chapter this time; I will try to post the next one as soon as possible to make up for that!  
_

 _As always, big thanks to Pirocantha and all those of you who review, making my world so much happier!_


	31. Chapter 31

_Thanks to all of you who read, review, add to favorites and follow this story!_

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CHAPTER 31

Severus Snape was never a heavy sleeper; one could hardly afford that when he was constantly in danger of being exposed, tortured and killed. Plus his weighty conscience took care to bother his mind with horrible nightmares in the rare instances when he felt somewhat safe. But not today, miraculously.

Today - or tonight? - he slept well. He felt warm and comfortable and there was that pure smell of spring rain all around him that he had learned to associate with Hermione.

 _Hermione..._

Hermione, sitting across his lap with her hands stroking his chest, naked but for his cloak, her beautiful wide eyes set on him. Hermione, bending down to whisper into his ear, challenging him, teasing him to take her right there, right now, and he was only too eager to obey, thrusting himself into her wet soft pussy, that hovered just above his cock. She moaned at that and started rocking her hips, her round tits bouncing sexily as she rode him and he raised his hands to touch them, hold them, caress them, envelop them in his palms and stroke the pert nipples with his greedy fingers...

There was someone there with him, speaking. He felt the magic move around him. He wasn't alone. He wasn't safe. Someone was about to curse him!

 _SHIT!_

Moving quickly away from his current location to make himself a less easy target, he grabbed blindly for his wand only to discover it wasn't in the holder placed in his sleeve and backed away as far as he could from the source of the magic. He was met with wall in a second. _Fuck! He was trapped!_

Having no way to protect himself or to hide, he subconsciously put his open hands in front of him in a gesture of surrender meant to stall whoever was attacking him so he would be given a chance to speak before being killed at the very least.

There was a pair of big, hazel eyes staring at him from a few feet away that seemed to be as surprised as he was by this.

 _Hermione. Her cell. The Fortress. The Pain Killer..._

He let out the breath he had been holding until then and, lowering his hands tiredly, he noticed they rested on some kind of grey fabric that got pushed into his lap, fortunately hiding his persisting erection in its folds and obviously covering him when he was lying. A shroud? How very romantic, even for the girl, to dress him in something like that before deciding to end this finally... She probably did not want to look at his dead face and body so it could not haunt her later. Rather clever, really. He even felt bad for spoiling that plan... Both would be so much happier if it had worked out; him dying fucking her in his dream, her being rid of him cleanly.

Finding her eyes once again, he simply waited for her to act. Everything had been said already. She had the bottle with memories safely held by her side...

"I want to have access to the whole house, unrestricted; free to go anywhere at anytime as long as I am inside. I want books. I want you to acquire and bring those that I ask for. I want you to order the Daily Prophet to be delivered to me. I want proper clothes. I want to have a room just for myself that I will select personally and I want my own bathroom. I want to choose the shape and place for the Mark when you give it to me." She stopped her tirade finally, somewhat out of breath and watched him suspiciously as if she had been expecting him to interrupt her long ago.

"Fine," was the only answer he was capable of and he felt the corners of his mouth turning up against his will; or rather against his currently nearly non-existent restraint that had been fatally affected by the wave of relief and happiness that the implications of her speech suggested to him. She accepted it! _She is willing to take the Mark and leave with him! She will be safe!_

Now she was only frowning at him, a slightly disbelieving look on her face. Well, he didn't smile often but he hoped it had not made him that unrecognizable...

"Ok... We have a deal then," she concluded, although it did not sound very confident. Approaching him and still rather dumbfounded, she outstretched her hand with his wand in it towards him, handle first. For the second time in one day, he noticed, and slowly reached for the handle, accepting it.

She folded her hands across her body and sat down again a few feet away from him, leaning against a wall, same as he was, watching him with caution.

"When?" She did not elaborate but he understood.

"When you wish to. Not now, though. I don't have any more potions to relieve the pain. I would also not recommend longer than three days as we would have to meet anyway by that time and you would have to stay unprotected until then as I was ordered to put the wards down today," he explained, eyeing the black wand in his hand in deep thought.

"Alright, three days it is then," she told him. _She probably wants to have some time to change her mind, just to be sure,_ Severus supposed.

"The matter is settled in that case," Severus told her and was just about to raise himself from the ground to leave when he noticed his pants were still around his ankles and his shirt open.

Masking his previous intent masterfully, he went to dress himself first and noticed she averted her eyes, tactful as always. Or disgusted by him, more likely. She'd had to face his bare, scarred skin long enough as it was; it would turn anyone's stomach, really. No wonder she put the cloth over him, although he could now correctly identify it as a blanket.

As soon as he was done with that and certain there was no trace of his recent erection visible, he rose to his feet and folded the blanket neatly, handling it to her. She may very well keep it too if she had the cloak...

As soon as she took it from him, he went to the door and started unraveling the layers of the wards, unweaving and cancelling each along with its effect and feeling rather unsure about that. She would be on her own for three days...

Wait! The stone! He would go crazy about this if he did not have the stone!

"Accio stone!" he said as soon as he felt the last strand of the wards falling around him and immediately heard her squeak in surprise as the stone slipped out of his cloak's pocket and flew into his hand.

"I don't-" she began angrily but he did not let her finish that.

"I need that, Miss Granger," he shot her his coldest stare to tell her he really meant it and it was not open to discussion. She had stated her conditions already, the stone was not a part of that. It was his.

She still watched him, dangerous sparks in her eyes, so he just enlarged the food plate that was lying on the floor and summoned the rest of his things back to himself to store them into his pockets, the memories included.

"In three days then, Miss Granger." He bowed his head in goodbye and turned to leave as soon as he saw her nodding her consent.

* * *

 _Huge magical thanks to Pirocantha, the best beta reader in the world!_

 _Please, leave a review behind if you feel like it!_


	32. Chapter 32

_Thank you so much for your support, guys, you are the best!_

* * *

CHAPTER 32

Hermione watched as Snape turned on his heel and left her there, closing and locking the door behind him quietly, never looking back at her.

She really expected him to negotiate - or at least try to - the terms of her stay at his house and his quick acceptance made her wonder again whether it was a good idea to agree with the Marking and moving. She would be invading his living space and, knowing him as she did to be a rather secretive person, she truly supposed he would not let her roam it at all, let alone unsupervised... This was all just a bit too suspicious.

She hoped - no PRAYED - she had done the right thing this time and there was no catch to it. She had three more days to think through the offer. _He cannot make her accept anything when he_ _comes_ , she told herself and squeezed the silver ring with the cell keys that was stored safely in her pocket.

Drawing the twelfth mark on the wall, the key ring still hidden in her cloak, she was still doubting. Not even the long list of pluses and minuses that now adorned three pages of her diary helped her to decide whether she would rather stay a prisoner in here or whether it would be preferable to be moved to some unknown place and live with Snape, alone.

Sitting on her mattress and selecting a bowl with chicken soup to eat for her supper that day, she tried to imagine her life - or the remaining 353 days of it that she would likely have to suffer through - with the man. Him ordering her around. Him breaking his word and punishing her through the Mark whenever he felt like it. Him in his Mr. Hyde moods. The cold eyes. _Him doing that to her 51 more times if she really_ _ha_ _d_ _to be doing that with him every week._ Hermione cringed at that.

Putting the empty bowl away and hugging herself tightly, she closed her eyes and tried to forget that the 51st time would come tomorrow.

There were footsteps in the distance. It was the wrong time for footsteps. The guards never visited the other girls so late at night; not that she would know it was night if not for her magical window. Anyway, something unusual was happening and she sat up on her bed, roused fully from her sleep, and watched the door to her cell intently, waiting.

She did not have to wait for long. Just as the noise reached its peak, the creaking of doors and subsequent female screams echoing from about every cell around hers, a dark clad figure appeared in her doorway and stood there, watching her. Snape. He had his Mask on but she knew it was him. She recognized the wand that he had just used to open the door. She saw the bruises on his right hand that he obviously hadn't bothered to heal. She noticed his index finger twitch, apparently on its own.

"Miss Granger?" he said quietly in way of greeting but the question was quite clear still; _do we have_ _a_ _deal? Will you play along?_

It was the Rape Room today then.

Cold and shivering with fear, she nodded slightly to let him know she understood. Then she shakily stood up and came to him, not wanting him to curse and carry her there. She could do this on her own. She was not an animal to be dragged to its slaughter, kicking and screaming. She wanted to have some control. She wanted to have some dignity left when this was over. She had chosen this, deciding to cooperate with him, and this was the time to face the consequences. _Just don't fight this. He won't get so angry again if you don't. After this, it will be only 50 more times..._

She stopped a few feet away from him, self-conscious under the cold stare and hugging herself to hide at least a bit of her nudity, her head down and expecting instruction. This close up, he smelt of smoke, even more than usual, she noticed idly. He wordlessly cast the spell on her that made her wet and she blushed, her heart hammering into her ribs. So this was really happening...

"Do you really want to see this? I can blindfold and carry you there if you wish..." he offered, his voice unsure.

She only shook her head at him imperceptibly. _No, she_ _wa_ _s not a coward. She wants to see what is happening around her. She wants to be able to see what is happening to her..._

A second later he nodded and moved away from the doorway, apparently wanting her to walk ahead of him and she did just that, putting one foot before the other and trailing the guard a few yards ahead of them who was levitating one of the other blindfolded and bound girls. They were likely meant to arrive all together at one place, she guessed, and Snape not correcting her selection of doors only confirmed her speculation.

Finally, they crossed the hallways and arrived in an open room with high ceilings, big enough for at least 60 people to move comfortably. The stone walls were lined with chains, though, and stains coated every surface. Dark brown stains. The dried blood of unwilling victims that no one cared enough about to remove. The Rape Room.

Her throat constricted at that and she could only stare at the arriving women as they were being forcibly pushed against the wall, chained and petrified, one-by-one, till they all stood there in a line, bent, helpless, blinded and immobile. _Like cows. Waiting to be used._

Most of them looked to be barely standing, being held up by the chains and the spells. There was not a single one without a nasty bruise or a cut somewhere on her. Two of them even looked to have their arms broken or dislocated... There was not one that looked healthy or clean. Hermione was with no doubt the best cared for out of them all and she felt a pang of pity and guilt for those less 'fortunate'. If only she could help them somehow...

Snape did nothing to prod her, only stood quietly about a foot behind her, never forcing her into anything really and she was rather glad for it. She did not think she could do this otherwise. She needed to feel in control, weak, feigned and fragile as it might be. She could do this. She was strong enough.

Forcing her eyes to tear themselves from the scary sight in front of her - was Voldemort REALLY expecting those women to be able to conceive and carry a child?! - she selected the free bit of wall just next to her, slowly neared to it and placed her hands on it for support, breathing deeply to calm down her madly beating heart. She knew Snape to be just behind her, his presence ever so strong even as he was simply standing there, watching over her. _She_ _c_ _ould_ _do this!_

Then there was the bang of a door being opened and the room was suddenly filled with noises of men laughing, talking, cheering even, and she was startled well enough to turn her head from facing the wall and watch them approach, mesmerized. Terrified.

The first of the Death Eaters to reach his destination - nearly galloping to the woman and reminding her of Vincent Crabbe by the way of his slightly crouched and swaying gait -was now hastily pulling down his pants with one hand and yanking sharply the black hood from the girls head with the other, strands of her curly ginger hair remaining in the cloth as they got pulled out by the force of his movement. Not caring about that in the slightest, he pried her mouth open forcefully with his fingers and immediately pressed his naked crotch - with that ugly wobbling thing in the center of it - into her face, pushing her whole body down and making blood pour out of her wrist as he kept thrusting her head against his hips, groaning loudly through his mask.

The gruesome scene was obscured from her view soon but it was not fortunate by far; instead she was faced with another half naked form, the masked man just reaching the girl tied next to her and, without any preamble, hit her hard across her covered face, making her whole body turn with the impact. Grabbing her by the hood and pulling it off her head, he hit her again and took out his wand, sweeping it over her throat to cancel the silencing charm on her. Immediately, desperate sobs and cries started echoing through the room.

"Now take that, bitch!" he hissed maliciously, grabbed her by the hips and thrust that now fully erect part of him into her... into her BUTT?! _WHAT?! How could anyone mistake that for... THAT?!_

The girl's scream that followed drowned out even the loud moans and panting of all the other Death Eaters who were already pushing themselves into the bodies of the chained women. Hermione could only stare, unblinking, her heart beating madly, her throat dry, frozen in place at the horrors around her when a warm hand stroked her back lightly from behind and she flinched away, nearly screaming herself from the fright it gave her.

But it was Snape. 'Just' Snape. There was no one else behind her. She had survived this with him before. She should be fine as long as she doesn't move too much. He never hurt her much when she did not fight him... _Not yet, at least._

So Hermione made herself stay where she was, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes firmly, shaking. She had chosen this. She had wanted to see that. Merlin, how STUPID she was!

The hand slowly left her back to rest on her hip, holding her in place, and she could feel him directing that big, hot thing into her. Spreading her and slipping into her slowly, it was filling her from inside and pushing itself as deep as it could possibly get only to be pulled out a second later to repeat the movement, rocking her slightly. She heard as he started breathing audibly, the hand on her hip still holding her firmly and pushing her slightly against him to match the rhythm he had set. It did not hurt, really. It was 'only' her soul that was hurt deeply today. She could not possibly rid herself of the images that were now etched into her mind's eye, not even now. She could not forget what was happening only a few feet away from her.

The panting behind her got louder and quicker, along with the bumping of his hips against her butt and she knew what would come next. Bracing herself firmly against the wall and squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the thing inside of her to start hardening even further, twitching and then pumping that hot slime into her again. She heard his muffled groan as he held her to him tightly by her hips and finally stopped his incessant thrusting into her, shaking and filling her as he came. She didn't move, not even now. There was no time to risk that even though she would much rather wrench herself free of him immediately, breaking from this twisted 'hug' of his. Ridding herself of that thing that she felt starting to become flaccid inside her as it discharged its content. Men really were disgusting. Or at least THIS man was.

Breathing deeply through her nose to calm herself, she patiently waited for him to decide when to let her go. She had survived this again, she could survive this 'cuddling' of his too, although, on some level, it felt even more personal and improper than it had when he was moving against her.

Eventually, he moved, pulling himself out of her and releasing her from that strange embrace and she wasted no time in hugging herself to replace the foreign feeling of his hands on her with this familiar one. She could feel that slime leaking out of her already and tried to pretend not to notice it, looking at anything other than him as he redressed hastily.

She shouldn't have, really. The woman next to her was all bloody now and obviously unconscious; the man behind her apparently discovered his error and was doing it right now at least, moaning as he rattled her limp body with his forceful and quick thrusts. The one to her left was left alone already, shivering violently and covered by that unmistakable whitish substance, bite marks and bruises that made her breast a blend of purple and blue.

 _Merlin. This is what Hell looks like._

With her mind full of the horrors and ordering her eyes to look down at her feet - and ONLY there - she waited for him to finish buckling up his belt and tell her what to do now.

"I suppose you may go back now," he said quietly after a few seconds, still a bit breathy.

"I? You're not...?" she trailed off, unsure suddenly. _Wa_ _s_ _he leaving her?_

"We were ordered to return to the Meeting Chamber as soon as we have finished here. I plan to come and see you when the session is over," he explained, watching her attentively. "But I can escort you there now if you wish."

Hermione shook her head quickly - she knew the way now and she did NOT need him for anything - and made her way back to the door they had entered the room through, her eyes still strictly on the floor. She did not want to see this place ever again, not even a glimpse of it. It would haunt her for the rest of her life as it was.

* * *

 _Big and glorious thanks and hugs to Pirocantha who waged yet another war with this one - and came out victorious again!_

 _Reviews are the best reward, should you wish to grant it to me :-)_


	33. Chapter 33

_This one was a torture to write for some unknown reason... Hope you will find it worth the time!_

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CHAPTER 33

Severus was standing in front of the burning building; the flames near enough to sear his skin, yet he never backed off from them, staring into their avid, hungry, red cores.

The man, Gregorovitch, wasn't there when he arrived. Nor anyone else. He wasn't forced to kill today, not yet at least. He knew that there would be consequences for that; any failure in the Dark Lord's services was bound to carry numerous of those. This one would hurt.

Likely not only him this time, though, as all members of the Inner Circle had been summoned in the dead of the night to raid the selected buildings in search of the man. In fact he should be hoping that someone else would succeed in the mission to avoid the wrath of the monster, yet he couldn't really bring himself to. The old wandmaker deserved to live the rest of his life in peace if he wanted to.

One thing was certain at least; the Dark Lord was experimenting with wands now, collecting as many of them as he possibly could - even the most trusted Death Eaters had to hand all their spare ones over to him - and using them for whatever he was doing to Potter. He was after the ultimate power. The Elder wand. _When he finds it, he will kill the boy_ , Snape knew with certainty, yet he still had no idea how to get the brat out.

 _Buggering Godric's ass!_

Raising his own dark wand, he swished it across the house in an angry motion, producing a huge ball of energy that collided with the burning structure and made it collapse with one big, whining creak, sending ash and debris flying far away. None of it even touched him.

 _Fuck this!_

His forearm started burning at that moment and he nearly swished his wand again at it to cut it off in his rage. Not that it would actually help him to get rid of it; the Mark would simply just move somewhere else as long as he remained alive. That was the way to mark a servant for life. That was the way he would have to mark Hermione.

 _Merlin's shit!_

Grabbing at the burning flesh and swearing loudly, he Apparated to the location he was directed to; the meadow in front of the Fortress. The Dark Lord was already waiting for them, a gleam in his red eyes. A happy gleam.

 _Crap!_

His suspicions were never directly confirmed or disproved; the monster did not even mention anyone succeeding or failing in the mission that they had just been summoned from, not even demanding reports, and Severus started to believe that it was the thing itself that had killed the wandmaker today as the Dark Lord had personally taken part in the raids this time.

Damn, he was hoping the man had made it. He would have to let the Order know about this...

Never noticing his arm twitching any more, Severus' train of thought was interrupted at that moment by a sudden change of subject.

"And now that we are finished here, I have a little competition for you; it's been weeks since you have acquired that special gift from me and I now would wish for you to show me how well you have been using it. The winner will receive a special award for his performance today. The whores will be prepared for you in the adjacent room; go in, do your best and then return here to hear who deserves to be selected as the winner. Severus, you may go now to fetch yours, the rest of you can have a cup of Firewhiskey to celebrate in the meantime!" the Dark Lord said and waved his hand to make bottles and glasses appear.

Severus did not even wait for the cheering to die out; he was needed elsewhere.

Hermione. She was to be dragged to the Ceremony Chamber. Raped in front of everybody. _Shit!_

He pushed his way through the guards, all four of them busy binding and transporting the other girls, and finally reached her cell, finding her awake and sitting on her bed, her eyes immediately on him.

"Miss Granger?" he said to let her know it was him. To let her know he would take care of her. To let her know she was safe with him now.

She nodded, accepting the promise obviously, and stood up to come to him, even though she still looked rather afraid. It was no wonder really as she apparently knew what was about to happen. She was a clever girl. The brightest witch of the century, as McGonagall always bragged incessantly during the never ending staff meetings back before everything turned to shit and she was still talking to him.

He cast the spell on her then - he wouldn't be able to afford others seeing that once they were all gathered in the Chamber - and she blushed as she hid herself behind her arms. _She looks so innocent and_ _pretty_ , he couldn't help but observe. _The_ _most beautiful_ _witch of the century for sure;_ _McGonagall kept forgetting to mention that one,_ _th_ _e_ _old hag._

She still stood there, though, nervous and waiting and he forced his mind to return back to the present.

"Do you really want to see this? I can blindfold and carry you there if you wish..." he asked quietly, hoping she would accept that and make this easier for herself in spite of his expectations.

She shook her head slightly though, confirming them - she really was a proud one. _Hopefully she will be strong enough for this too_ , he thought, worried, but accepting her decision nevertheless. Moving away from the doorway, he let her pass him and lead the way to the Chamber, watching her from behind and making sure she would not get attacked or hindered in any way.

But no matter how hard he tried - admittedly, his will was rather weakened at this moment by his damned uncontrollable cock that stirred wildly - Severus simply could not take his eyes off of the sight that was now offered to them; Hermione walking naked in front of him, her head up, proud and strong. Her elegant and shapely body swayed sexily and her hips rocked in an erotic rhythm as she moved - no, danced! No 'walk' was ever so attractive! - leaving him behind, staring at that perfect, firm, round arse of hers, wishing fervently for yet another glimpse of her sweet pussy that he got whenever she had to raise her long legs to step on a stair.

 _Fuck! How was she doing this to him? No one was supposed to have this much effect on him!,_ he thought, angry at himself and especially at that part of him that knew no better than hardening and lengthening to the point where it made his own walk rather uncomfortable. _Shit!_

How she could appear that strong and confident was a true mystery to him; he himself was dreading the event, although he had seen it before and it was HIM who was the villain here. It was HIM who was turned on by her to a level that he hadn't ever been by anyone else before - and she was not even doing anything on purpose!

Reaching the Chamber, he prayed for her to simply look down and try to endure this; hopefully for the last time in her life. Yet he was well aware that the girl was probably the most curious being on Earth and today was no exception to the rule - in no time, she froze in fright as she couldn't help herself but observe the other women who were brought into the Chamber.

 _Just stay calm, don't run anywhere..._ He really did not want to chain her; he promised to himself that he wouldn't ever rape again and he truly wanted to keep his word even if it meant that he would get punished for it. The Dark Lord could go and fuck himself for all Severus cared. Maybe THAT would actually make him happy, having someone _equal_ as a partner, that freak.

Fortunately, she came to her senses then and selected a free place nearest to them to mirror the positions the other women were forced into, obviously balanced enough to know what had to be done and he nearly sighed in relief at that. _They could make this work. She was still with him, strong..._

The rest of the Death Eaters were let in then, all eager and raring. _Animals..._ Yet the girl was watching all around her even now, damn it. Couldn't she pretend to be somewhere else, trying not to notice them and using her Occlumency skills? It was his favorite - and the only efficient - strategy when he was faced with these kinds of atrocities and he had chosen it for the present moment too, concentrating on his arousal and her perfect body instead of their situation and surroundings.

Being the last one to undress again, he pulled down his pants, finally releasing his grateful dick from the now insufficient space, and approached her, stroking her back to warn her of his approach. She flinched at that, startled, and he waited patiently for her to calm down again, leaving his hand on her soft skin to reassure her. It was time she stopped watching the others though. Now it was about them...

As soon as he was sure she was fine - or as fine as she ever could be in here - he took his painfully erect cock into his hand and inserted it carefully into that sweet, soft pussy of hers where it so badly wanted to be, connecting them and letting himself be swallowed by the rush of feelings it was providing him.

 _Fuck, she was perfect!_

Drowning in her tight, hot wetness, he pushed himself as deep inside her as he could get, wanting more of her, claiming every part of her that he could reach and inhaling her pure, clear scent by the lungful. _This is just what he needed! She is so good around him, so soft, warm and pure..._

Letting his hips move his cock of their own accord to conquer her depths, he focused on the sensations her bare skin left on his, the velvety touch that was provided to him, holding her to him and never wanting to let her go. She did not want to go anywhere either, obviously; she was not bound in any way and still she let him do this with her. _She wanted him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She was HIS!_

Pulling her to him bodily and doubling the intensity of their contact, he was swallowed by her scent and his cock started pounding into her with feverish zeal, sending waves of pleasure through his whole being, before it suddenly halted and began pulsing violently, pumping loads of semen deep into her as he erupted into an orgasm. _Merlin, this was heavenly. He never wanted this to end. Never wanted to let her go..._

Holding her tightly to himself to protect her from anything that might have ever come, he waited for his vision to clear again so he could let her go safely even though he didn't want to. This was where he belonged. This was where she belonged...

Yet, the world did not slow down for him and he started perceiving the people around them again, bringing him back to the ugly reality. There was no time for this. No place for this. She did NOT belong here...

Letting go off her finally, he started dressing himself and noticed she kept her eyes to the floor; her dry eyes, she was not crying obviously. She was managing this, dealing with what had happened and what she had seen, choosing the sensible way to not observe the horrors too much. _She is strong, this witch,_ he concluded, proud of her.

"I suppose you may go back now," he told her, not wishing her to be there a second longer than she absolutely had to. She was far too good for this...

"I...? You're not…?" She didn't finish the sentence and his heart was stabbed by the uncertainty in her voice.

"We were ordered to return to the Meeting Chamber as soon as we have finished here. I plan to come and see you when this session is over," he answered the unsaid question but he could see she didn't look sure."But I can escort you there now if you wish." Of course he would accompany her there if it would make her feel better. A Crucio or two for his delay would be more than an acceptable price for a bit of peace of mind...

But she only shook her head and left immediately, obviously not wanting him to follow. She didn't need him, evidently; it was him who needed her and he was very aware of that.

With that in mind, Severus clutched the beating stone in his pocket so hard it hurt, focusing on its quick beating much more than on his gradually returning 'brothers', as he seated himself by the Dark Lord's side. He was certain that outwardly he seemed calm, bored even, but there was a storm of emotions bottled up deep inside him; his worries over her safety when he had sent her back on her own, his insecurity about her changing her mind about leaving with him after what she had just seen, the ever-present guilt over wanting her so much even though he knew it was not - and never would be - reciprocated...

The last of the members of the Inner Circle - only Bellatrix was missing again, as he had not failed to notice - had just taken their places when the Dark Lord re-appeared by the door, cancelling the Disillusionment Charm on himself. There was still that happy gleam in his red eyes, damn...

With no warning at all, the thing raised its clawed, pale hand against them with its wand in it.

"Crucio!"

Severus half-expected it to be aimed at him as a punishment for his 'performance' today, yet it was Macnair who started convulsing and, with a dull thud, fell to the floor, moaning pitifully.

That one nearly made Severus smile - the bastard had had it coming for far too long. As far as he knew, he had already killed at least three women in this 'project'. He deserved that and much more, the pervert. But it was not the reason he was being punished, he could be quite sure of that. More likely he had done something wrong during today's little show.

The body of the freak stilled much sooner than Severus would have preferred as the curse was lifted. What a pity...

"THAT is NOT how children are produced, my friend. Hopefully no one in here needs me to tell him of the birds and the bees?" the man asked sarcastically. Naturally, no one answered.

"Good. With that issue cleared, let's announce the winner of our private competition," the Dark Lord said, baring his sharp teeth in a parody of a smile.

"Assessing your individual skills, efficiency and level of control over the act, the victor was rather easy to select, providing the radiant proof of his superior methods and approach. Severus!" the monster called him and nearly made him flinch with surprise. _Fuck, what was happening?!_

"As a reward for your exceptional performance and results, you are hereby granted permission to select and take any object from the Treasure Trove Chamber that would be to your liking," the Dark Lord said with an air of someone who was handing out lollipops to children. It was not out of place in this case though; one could find just about ANYTHING in that room, the most valuable object that the Dark Side had attained throughout years of looting, raiding, robbing, stealing and occasionally even trading...

"Thank you, my Lord, you are most gracious," Snape said and bowed deeply. With some luck, this day could turn up well still...

"Indeed! And now off with you all!" The Dark Lord dismissed them with a wave of his hand, still obviously happy. He would have to tell the Order about Gregorovitch and about the baby that was expected, he hadn't reported that one either yet.

"Follow me, Severus!" he was invited and wasted no time in obeying. The man was a cruel, inhumane creature but one thing could not be denied to him; he knew how to reward people when he wanted to. There were certainly no lemon drops - of all things - offered for his service...

As soon as he entered the Chamber, Severus had to use all his restraint to not gape too openly; it was so much bigger than a few months ago when he had been there last to personally turn in the required potions. Fuck, about every single one of the cursed items to his left would be enough to buy a new house. A house he could use to make Hermione live more comfortably. There was about every potion ingredient he had ever heard of - therefore every one in existence - on the shelves opposite him and his eyes widened at the quantity of the lethifold skin he so badly needed in the big jar on the highest rack. Fuck!

But then something else caught his attention and he knew this was what he would take at once, no need to look further...

Taking it from the shelf, he showed it to the Dark Lord who stood there with him in the middle of the room, looking around himself and obviously feeling like the superior ruler of the world already. That megalomaniacal jerk...

"Very well, Severus! I never expected you to chose anything meaningless and shallow... I see you really know what matters in this world!" The thing had the guts to praise him. Severus only bowed in response as was his habit of late. There were sometimes no words to say to this joke of a man...

"Take it and off with you," he said and Severus was dismissed. Bowing again, he quickly left the room, leaving the Dark Lord positioned in the midst of it, drunk with his own power and glory.

Yes, he knew what mattered. Way better than the thing did...

He was still musing over the recent events and squeezing the beating stone in his pocket when he noticed he was standing in front of Hermione's cell already, the girl waiting for him patiently on her bed and standing up immediately when she saw him.

Never giving him even the time to greet her and ask if she was alright, she stared him straight in the eye and demanded resolutely, "I want to take the Mark now. I want to leave with you today."

* * *

 _Now a little **COMPETITION** for you: whoever guesses first and correctly the identity of the object that Severus chose in the Chamber will get the next ten chapters (unedited) immediately. You have only one attempt so think of it and write a review where you mention it - I will write back and tell you if you were right :-) The prize awaits!_

 _ _Thanks to Pirocantha and her never yielding effort this chapter got uploaded much sooner! Hugs and kisses to her in piles! (And sorry for being disqualified from the competition as you already know what it was!)  
__


	34. Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

Hermione was sitting with her eyes squeezed shut on her bed in the corner of her small, dark cell, hugging her body fiercely as she rocked herself to try and calm down. Her breathing had been shallow and erratic since she had sprinted back from the Rape Room, looking over her shoulders all the time and scared that someone was following to 'continue the session' with her.

She would have never thought that having Snape cover her back on the way there would make such a difference, yet now she was rather sure it meant a lot; he could get violent himself in certain circumstances. He had his tempers and kinks, but he could be always counted on to stand up for her, to protect her from the likes of those animals that had ravaged the poor girls back there... Yes, he could get quite forceful in his way to get what he wanted from her, but she knew he would never do anything so outright mean or mutilating; maybe it was caused by the simple fact that he didn't really like her but she wasn't complaining certainly. He was a Death Eater, but a much tamer one compared to those around him. Somewhat predictable even...

The doors around her cell started to creak again as the guards began returning the women back to their chains. The poor, miserable girls, being handled like cattle...

Tightening the cloak around her body and pressing her palms forcefully against her eyes, she tried to forget, to erase the images of what she had seen today so that she could return to her previous relative safety and sanity. So she could return to her oblivion, waiting and hiding her head under the black cloak... Her making the marks on the wall to count the days and weeks. Her writing. Her pretending this was not happening around her...

 _Damn, she WANTED to return back to that, waiting for Snape to do what matter_ _ed_ , she realized with a stark clarity and raised her head to stare towards the iron bars, even though it was now only silence that could be heard from that direction. _She WANTED to let HIM solve everything for her. She WANTED HIM to have the responsibility over their fates. She was a COWARD, exactly like he had said a few days back!_

Throwing the cloak away from her body - she had been hiding behind it, behind HIM, for far too long even as it was - she started pacing across her small cell, her new determination helping her to overcome her fears much more efficiently than anything else before.

All she had been doing so far was thinking and doubting everything; that was her nature, she knew that very well, although she sometimes really envied Harry and Ron for their straightforward way of thinking, living in their black and white world. But this had to end now. She was not helping anybody by that, being locked up in her cell, creating her small little sanctuary and writing her stupid poetry. Counting the days like she was waiting for Snape to save the world and die, resolving all her worries with that. What rubbish! _It has to change and it will change now!_ , she decided. _As soon as he comes back, she will tell him she is leaving with him. She won't stay there a second longer than she absolutely has to. She won't be closing her eyes and plugging her ears from the horrors any more. She would even leave this place with Snape, if there_ _wa_ _s no one else to free her. She would even take the Dark Mark if_ _that_ _is what it costs.._

Fishing the diary out from under her bed, she found the correct page and surveyed the picture she had drawn there in case she opted to take it. The Mark she would carry till the end of her life. Snape's Mark...

It wasn't even really a picture, she admitted to herself, but still, it took her the main part of the previous two days to think of. Originally, she was considering an otter, like her Patronus, and then a lion to symbolize the Gryffindor House and Hogwarts she so much cared about. Afterwards, it was a cat as she had always liked cats... But nothing felt right for her to carry in her very skin and magic.

She was just about decided for the icon to be a book - books and tomes were her passion ever since she was a kid - when it occurred to her that it wasn't the content of the picture that was the problem; it was the form. She wasn't really a fan of pictures, not since she had learned how to read. Her true love was for the letters, words and sentences that entwined into the web of knowledge and education. No good book was based solely on pictures...

So there were two letters written on the page, both capitals and done with her best cursive script. H. and G., her initials, to symbolize her name. Hermione Granger; that was how her parents had named her and that was who she would always be, no matter what the others kept calling her, regardless of who she was bound to. She was a servant for no one, belonging only to herself. She wouldn't mind to carry her own name for the rest of her life.

Finally at least somewhat sure of what she was doing, she sat back on her bed and waited for Snape to return, prepared to trust the man with her accommodation when she had been so readily counting on him with the safety and lives of her friends and all she had ever cared about. Now it was time to act, risky as it might be. No one can live fully and never risk anything...

It didn't take more than a few minutes before she heard footsteps echoing in the distance; the quick and resolute strides she'd learnt to associate with Snape. _Snape, her Master to be and her Bonder_ , she cringed at that but there was no time to lose her courage now. _She must act now or she never will!_

As soon as he opened the door, she said what she should have said days - no, weeks! - ago.

"I want to take the Mark now. I want to leave with you today," she announced, not giving herself any time to doubt again.

He never managed to respond to that when the rest of the words that had been stored inside her over the last few days spilled out of her. "I want the Mark to be placed on my left shoulder blade, the shape of it is drawn here." She pointed at the diary. "I want to leave with you immediately after that," she finished her demand and watched him, trying to look resolute about this.

He still stood there, frozen and not moving. It took several minutes for him to say something.

"Miss Granger, this was an unplanned, emergency gathering. The potion for you is still brewing in my lab; I have only the ordinary, weaker one at my disposal at the moment and I am not sure it will stop all the pain..." He gave her a questioning look, obviously unsure about this.

Damn, this was not what she had been hoping for... But she had to go and she had to go now. _Before she_ _start_ _ed_ _doubting again..._

"I want to leave with you today," she repeated, although she did not sound that certain anymore, even to herself.

"Are you sure?"

No, she wasn't. She never would be. But life wasn't a book; there were no answers in it that she could look up, research, mark down and know they were correct. Life was risky, unsure and easily disappointing. No one ever marked it to tell her she had got it right; its results were lying solely on her shoulders... Still, she nodded. _She needs to grow up and stop hiding behind him. She needs to start doing something. She needs to get out to help the others..._

So she nodded.

"Fine then," he said with an air of surrender. "I would suggest you lie on the bed, on your stomach if you really want the Mark to be placed on your shoulder. Take this before you lie down. Feel free to tell me to stop at any time in case you change your mind; it's never too late until you tell me you accept the Mark and feel your skin burning," he explained, handed her the Pain Killer and bending down to take the diary from the floor to observe the letters, his eyes cold and empty.

Downing the potion in one big gulp, she lay down on her stomach, her arms under her head. _She can do this. She is strong enough. It will get her out..._

In a few seconds, she heard Snape nearing to the bed, looming above her and whispering something in Latin over and over again, drawing the letters on her left shoulder as she requested. Her heavy and tired eyelids just about started to close, lulled by his constant whispering, when he stopped in his movement, the wood pointed into the center of the future Mark.

"Hermione Granger, are you willing to accept the Mark of the Darkness and thus become my follower for the rest of your life?"

 _No, she is not!_

"Yes, I am," she whispered her answer and immediately felt the skin on her shoulder become engulfed in flames, burning her flesh like Fiendfyre, searing deep into her very bones and she screamed. Screamed with all she had and with her full lungs. She kept screaming even as her voice broke and she wasn't even aware of her surroundings any more. She screamed even though she could no longer hear herself screaming. She screamed till the darkness swallowed her and hugged her in its soft folds to let her rest finally…

* * *

 _Enormous thanks to Pirocantha - once more - for fixing this even though she has a lot to worry about as it is; her own wedding on top of all!_

 _And many thanks to all of you who read and review this story; it's you who give me the strength to continue writing no matter how little time I have for it!_


	35. Chapter 35

_This chapter was written for and dedicated to Pirocantha for her birthday! Fortunately, she did not seem to mind sharing (and correcting O:-) ) it, the good girl that she is!_

* * *

CHAPTER 35

This was by far the worst thing Severus ever had to do in his life; it was nearly as bad as seeing her in the pool of her own blood when the stone told him her heart had stopped beating. About as bad as having only Lily's dead body to cradle and embrace, the life gone from her eyes. It was as horrible as knowing she was spelled with the Cruciatus...

But this time it was him who was causing her the pain, him who was doing this to her.

 _Fucking hell!_

He couldn't even stop to contain and soothe her. He had to finish the spell, sealing the curse, lest she dies in never ending agony...

The second the Mark got wholly colored and the outlines of the letters that she had chosen to incorporate in it were fully black, he lifted his wand from her now irreversibly marred skin and held her arms to her body so that she wouldn't tear and scratch at everything in her reach, breaking her nails and hurting her fingers even more. Her screams were putting daggers into his heart and he prayed for her to lose consciousness finally, hoped the potion would help her in that.

He had to press her down bodily so she wouldn't leave the bed and land on the hard cold floor; it felt like hours before she finally calmed down, started breathing evenly and her limbs relaxed even as she was still covered with cold sweat.

 _Shit, what had he done?!_

Wiping at his wet face - the salty coat on it was sweat of course for he NEVER cried! - he sat down tiredly by her side. So this was it. This was him spoiling her forever, bringing her into darkness...

 _Merlin's stenching crap!_

His ring finger twitched at that moment and he balled it along with the rest of his finger into a tight fist and punched the wall next to him, hard. There was a crack as some bones, still freshly mended, did not endure the impact and broke, the skin on his knuckles bleeding. He never felt it.

 _Fuck, he shouldn't have listened to her! He should have told her to wait for the right potion to dull the pain. He only used her answers for his selfish interest to get her out of this place sooner so he would be able to stop worrying over her so much. He did this for himself, the arrogant bastard that he was, letting her suffer through this! This was all his fault!_

Breathing heavily through his nose, he watched her closely, looking for any sign of lasting pain. Her beautiful soft features seemed calm to him; she was not even frowning now... Hopefully this would be it. It would HAVE to be worth it. She would be safe and the next time she would have to go through anything like this would be when he dies, a year from now... At least she would have something to celebrate then. _She won't be alone in that_ , he thought drily, remembering all the people who hated him. All the _good_ people who hated him. She was among them...

'I want to leave with you today' echoed through his mind at that moment. She wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, even at the cost of this. It was his duty to take her now, no gawking at her gorgeous form would change what he had done; he had better do what she had wanted him to and it would be best done before she came around. He really did not want her to face the Great Monster ever again...

Standing up heavily, he longed to cradle her gently into his arms and carry her home. Yet he couldn't. _Fuck, he could NEVER do what he really wanted. Always acting his role and playing the game at all times. His shitty life was just about that. Bugger him!_

Lifting his wand instead, cancelling all the spells he had cast on the cell to make it more comfortable, taking his black cloak back and collecting her diary from the floor - he was at least hoping she wanted to keep that - Severus turned and never looked back at the hellhole of a place even though he LONGED to tear it all down to the ground. She would never have to return here _. He would much rather die than permit that..._

He levitated her lovely naked body from the cell and directed the both of them to the Meeting Chamber where he knew the Dark Lord would notice him waiting as there were spells that alerted him of anyone wanting audience. With some luck he would get curious over what Snape wanted and wouldn't make them wait too long for this...

Laying her face down on the table in the middle of the room - he knew she wouldn't like that but it was the simplest way for what needed to be done. Furthermore, the Dark Lord would hopefully not touch her again if her beautiful tits were not visible to tempt him - he sat at his usual place and waited.

It took only a few minutes for the rotten wave of Dark Magic to invade the space, signalling the arrival of the monster. So he WAS interested...

"I didn't expect to see you again today, Severus! And what a surprise you have brought me!" the Dark Lord laughed in his high-pitched howl, surveying the form of the girl lying in front of him.

"I never expected you to be able to do this so soon... The Mark..." he said to himself, tracking the black letters that were freshly burned into the girl's flesh with his finger. The hairs on Severus' neck rose at that and his hand itched to take his wand and cut that finger off him. _Don't touch her, you bastard!_ _She is mine!_

"Excellent job, my friend. Everything seems to be done well and set in place. I will tell the new recruits that their duty starts now, helping you to watch and guard her." The Dark Lord made a few steps in his direction as he was speaking. It was good as it created some distance between her and the madman. _Just stay away from her, don't come any closer to her again..._

"You have made me proud of you today," the thing hissed silkily into his ear and Severus had to fight himself not to flinch away as his breath brushed against his skin, sending cold shivers down his spine. He reeked of death and decay. "Just make sure you do not disappoint me. Make sure you won't get too close to the bitch, having her that near..." The Dark Lord whispered and grabbed Severus by his chin, lifting his face to stare into his eyes and he felt his mind being invaded brutally by the red orbs, pushing and tearing at his memories, searching and grasping at the ones he was interested in.

Wasting no time - there was never any to spare when he was faced with this - he raised his Occlumency shields immediately, careful to never push the invader out, wary to never warn him of any obstructions ever being there, letting out just what he wanted to be seen. The images were all fresh and clear in his mind as he was forced to re-live them in his nightmares about every time he managed to fall asleep... Him pushing her against the wall harshly as he was raping her while she begged him to stop. The girl, all scratched and bruised, crying on the floor. Him calling her a bitch. Then, finally, the one from a few moments ago - him burning her skin black as he spelled the Mark into her, the horrible screams echoing through the cell...

Finally, he felt the monster withdraw, obviously content with what he had seen and leaving his head pounding painfully. The freak was so predictable sometimes...

"Well, it certainly looks like I have no reason to worry. You seem to know how to teach her about where her place is... Just enlighten me about one thing, if you would be so kind; why the letters? Why the H and G?"

"It is meant to honor you, of course, my Lord. To let her know and feel she is your servant above all, even though the Mark was done by me. It stands for His Greatness, the title that is due solely to you. I placed it on her shoulder so it will be always visible when I fuck her, reminding me of your orders and the Legacy that needs to be passed on..." Severus made up that story in a hurry and he was really hoping he had not overdone it, making it too far-fetched.

The corners of the monster's disgusting mouth twitched up at that and he nearly sighed with relief; there was never enough decoy in anything for this man to get suspicious of, conceited as he was.

"Very thoughtful of you, my friend. I never doubted your loyalty and your dedication is obviously as strong as that..." the Dark Lord praised him and he bowed his head in acknowledgement. "But it's time to go home, my boy. Go home and take that toy too if you wish so; she has received my permission to cross the wards along with you. Make sure you enjoy her and let me know as soon as she starts showing how well you know to handle her. I really need more followers such as yourself..." He was dismissed again with that and was only too happy to oblige, lifting the girl off the table and covering her with his cloak to conceal her form both from the cold outside and the stares of his fellows.

Using all of his remaining restraint not to take her into his arms possessively and run the whole way home, he walked with dignity, only a little bit faster than he normally would. He never took his eyes off of her and prayed this would really work out, hoping with his whole being that they had made it.

Taking a deep breath as he felt the wards nearing, he closed his eyes while they were passing them. Shit, he was a damn coward! He couldn't even make himself watch to see if she had made it through alright.

Opening his eyes and forcing himself to look at her when he knew he was standing in the Apparition area beyond the barrier, he exhaled deeply, a happy smile forming on his lips even as the muscles around his mouth strained and fought the movement, unused to it. They had made it! She was alive and safe now! _He will never let anything bad happen to her from now on,_ he promised himself. _She IS truly only his responsibility now. She is HIS!_

Not caring anymore for anyone possibly seeing them, he took her into his arms, hugging her to himself fiercely in a possessive manner even as his right hand burned with pain, the broken digits finally starting to register in his brain. Yet he was still far from worrying about it. _No one could take her away from him now. Ever._

Still smiling, he focused on the right address and, accompanied by a loud 'pop', he reappeared next to his house. The Spinner's End. Another hellhole, to be honest. Yet much safer. No one could get to her here as long as his father remained dead. _She will be safe finally and he could visit and see her every day, if she lets him, never needing to hurt her while doing it..._

Kicking the door open to let them enter, he carried her to his bed, settling her down gently and covering her with the blanket, tucking her in. Now everything was as it was supposed to be. She was here with him. No Dark Lords or Death Eaters - other than him - around. No one to threaten her any more. They had made it!

Smiling again, he sat in the armchair by the bed, watching her as the first strays of morning sun made her soft curly hair shine bright golden where it touched it.

 _She is the most beautiful witch in the world. The strongest. The bravest.  
_

 _His witch..._

* * *

 _So there it is - a change of surroundings finally! Hopefully it will not disappoint._

 _The next chapter can be expected to appear in two days - thanks to Pirocantha who is working on this like crazy! It's going to be told by Hermione, predictably._

 _ _What do you think? Tell me, please!__


	36. Chapter 36

_Now is the right time to announce the winner of our competition as the answer will be revealed in this chapter anyway - huge clapping and cheering for_ ** _emjrabbitwolf!  
_** _The reward has already been sent and hopefully enjoyed!_

* * *

CHAPTER 36

Something was biting into her shoulder persistently, trying to make its way through her skin, into her bones and blood, into her very soul, never ceasing in its gnawing at her flesh like a starving animal would. It was made up of sharp claws, ugly and dark, and smelling of rot and decay. Hermione flinched and turned to try and shake the beast off, to make it stop hurting and scratching her, but all it did was hurt even more, like something was pressing on the wound the hideous creature caused.

It made her open her eyes then, her forehead covered with sweat and her heart racing, and couldn't believe what she was seeing with them; even faced with that other-worldly beast that had hurt her in her dream, she would not have been this surprised.

There was light all around her. Normal, daily, natural light that landed in beautifully straight rays onto the rickety bed she was lying on, enveloping the little bits of dust that were suspended in the air, floating and spinning in their never ending dance with gravity and the small amount of air circulation in the unfamiliar, cramped room.

It was the most beautiful thing she had ever set eyes on and she found herself smiling even though her upper back hadn't stopped hurting like it was reminding her of the cost of this sight. She was out of that hellhole. She had made it. Snape had done it...

 _Snape!_

Looking around herself hastily, she saw the person she was thinking about and looking for, sitting in the wobbly, old-fashioned armchair by the bed. He was obviously asleep, a relaxed expression on his usually stern and controlled face as his head rested on his chest, his arms folded across his body. One of his fingers twitched and drew her attention to his right hand that was once again bruised and bloody with some of his fingers obviously broken. Damn, did she do such a bad job mending it that the wounds opened again? Why did he not heal it himself to correct it if that was the case? Or did something else happen whilst she was unconscious?

But then something else caught her attention; there was Snape's wand, lying on the bed table just a few inches from her. He had not stored it in his holder for some reason...

Reaching her hand slowly towards the dark wood, she watched the man cautiously. Even as a Muggleborn, she knew that touching anyone's wand - outside of a duel, of course - without the person's direct permission was a true taboo in the wizarding society as it was about the most personal and intimate object that a wizard or a witch owned, but she simply could not resist. It had felt so good the last time she had held it, reassuring her and giving her the peace and stability of mind that only being in full control of her safety and magic could provide.

As soon as her fingers made contact with the handle, she felt it humming happily against her skin, full of power and warmth. It was strange for this cold and unfeeling man to own a wand so warm, friendly and alive.

Lifting it from the table, she held it in her hand firmly, letting its magic and power seep into her.

"I rather like the wand," came from her side and she startled violently, nearly dropping the thing. _Damn! Snape!_

Pointing the wand quickly at him in hopes it would hold him at bay should he slip into one of his Mr. Hyde moods and decided to punish her for this, she looked him over hastily, trying to ascertain the situation. He seemed entirely serene, never moving his hands from their relaxed position, never reaching to take the wand from her. Did he really consider her to be so weak and such a bad dueler that he was so unafraid? Or did he not believe her capable of hurting him, the arrogant bastard?

"I acquired it when I was 16 after my first one got broken in a skirmish with my 'classmates' and it's something of a miracle that it has endured everything with me up till now, unbroken and unburned. It's even somewhat famous for its moods and temper amongst the Death Eaters; I fondly remember in particular how it zapped Bellatrix Lestrange when she tried to take it from me, turning her hair curly which she has not been able to reverse ever since..." Snape's eyes got a bit distant, a dreamy expression in them. "You are the first person, aside from me, that is hasn't tried to disable actually," he added, watching her hand still gripping the wand, obviously calm and at peace with her being armed while he was not.

Hermione never moved or spoke, still on guard, not giving him any excuse to attack her. _She is out of her cell! She knows how to defend herself if need be. She can handle this!_

"I have a proposal for you," he said then and reached into his sleeve, towards the hidden holder. She raised his wand higher, warning him silently, and he stilled, waiting. They eyed each other for a few seconds and she finally nodded her head. He did not look to be about to start cursing her, volatile as he might be. She'd decided to trust him once, taking the risks and he really had freed her and brought her to wherever she was now, living up to his word... Besides, she was curious as to what he had to offer. If she did not like it, she was still the one armed here; she could show him just how well she could fight in case he tried something fishy on her.

Merlin! She was not the only one armed here now anymore! She cursed herself for her stupidity as she saw him pulling out another wand. She draw her breath to curse him with something nasty when she noticed what he was really holding and all air escaped her lungs, leaving her gaping and unable to move.

It was HER wand. He held it by the tip, offering her the handle, his eyes never straying from hers.

She had never thought she would see it again. She had thought she had lost it forever.

Nodding her head quickly, incapable of words, she pushed his wand into his lap and snatched the precious vine wood from his hand, holding it to her tightly and suppressing her tears. Yes, it was only a thing, it was replaceable but it had been with her for seven years now. Her parents had bought it for her on her very first trip to the Wizarding World. She had cast her very first spell with it...

Raising her eyes back to him to thank him, she saw him looking in her direction, deeply absorbed by something - but not into her eyes. Lower. She looked down too to see what had diverted his attention and blushed violently. The blanket had slipped from her body, revealing her bare breasts that peeked out from the gap in the familiar black cloak which was draped around her. Pulling the two parts of the cloth together quickly to cover herself, she shot him a look, uncertain of his reaction. He had promised to keep their couplings to a minimum but they were alone here; no one would know, no one would judge him for it. He was a man and she had heard many stories of them claiming the girl had been asking for it, provoking them to the point that they could not help themselves. He had said this was a deal, the wand would have a price...

But he appeared to come to his senses then, fortunately, blinking a few times and clearing his throat. He appeared to be suddenly very interested in looking out of the dirty and dusty window set in the opposite direction from her.

"My apologies, Miss Granger," he said very quietly and she only nodded, although he could not see it, her throat still constricted with worry. Perhaps he would think she did not hear him. It did not really matter. It would be fine as long as they could pretend this had never happened.

It took several minutes before she had gathered enough courage to break the oppressive silence.

"Where are we?" she asked hesitantly.

Finally, he looked in her direction again, abandoning the view offered by the window.

"Cokeworth, Spinner's End. This is my house. This is where you will live," he answered, watching her carefully.

 _What?!_

Hermione looked around herself once more, properly this time. She thought this was only some transit house, serving to give them some shelter for the night. A very bad hotel maybe. Certainly not a place where someone actually lived. Not a place anyone would call a home.

There was nothing even remotely personal in the room around her; no pictures, no decoration, not even a carpet or curtains. Only a bed, a mismatching bedside table and an old armchair, all covered by an even layer of dust that had to have been forming for years to get so thick.

So this is how he got around promising to allow her into his private space unrestricted; he had bought this ruin of a house to accommodate her so he did not have to suffer her intrusion. Obviously he did not even bother to spend too much on it. That was why he was so quick to accept her terms - he never even planned to let her into his actual home.

Maybe she would not be welcome there for more reasons; it only occurred to her now that she knew nothing of Snape's personal life and his relationships. Maybe he had a wife or a girlfriend that he had never informed of her existence. Maybe he liked to bring women home for just one night... Her presence would not be tolerated in his home in any case, so Hermione would be kept here like his newly acquired dirty, little secret in his dirty, little secret house...

She felt somewhat cheated by that, although rationally she knew that she should be glad for it; maybe it meant that she wouldn't have to see him as often if he had another woman that he actually liked. Once a week was really fine with her as long as she had her books. Hopefully there WERE some books somewhere around here as he had promised her that too.

"Is there anything specific that you would like me to obtain for you?" he asked then and she jumped having forgotten about his presence for a minute.

"Clothes?" she requested once more, hoping she would not be denied this time. She really didn't want the situation from today to ever repeat itself.

"Sure. I left some of my shirts and trousers for you to adjust in the living room. They should be enough until you select your own. There are some magazines you can order from by owl post at the table in the kitchen, along with the food," he said and she was relieved somewhat - he at least counted on her to be here and permitted her to get clothes, although they had not specifically agreed on that. She half expected the Slytherin to provide only the bare minimum for her to survive on. Furthermore, it was good to know there were more rooms in this ruin of a building.

"Anything else?" he prompted her after a few moments of her silence.

Hermione only shook her head. She had food and she had clothes, at least he had said so. She had a house to explore. She had her wand. She would be fine for a week.

"I will see you tomorrow in that case to collect the clothes order as there are no owls for you to send," he told her, standing up from the armchair. She was not that lucky then... Still she only nodded, never rising from the bed so as not to not reveal any of her body as long as he was still in the room. There was no need to risk provoking him again.

The door closed behind him quietly and she breathed out, some of the tension finally leaving her. So this was it. This was the freedom she had traded her cell for...

Pulling the cloak tightly around her and waiting a few minutes until she heard the telltale 'whoosh' of the Floo transporting someone through the fireplace, she stepped out of the bed, placing her bare foot on the dust floor and making it creak, the sound resonating throughout the silent house.

Silence was good. Silence was better than the moaning and crying. Silence did not have her cowering in fear.

Exiting the room, she quickly found an old bathroom and spent about an hour in the shabby shower.

Still wet and feeling considerably more human again, she wrapped herself in an old towel hanging on a rusty peg that she had cleaned with a charm and opened the first door that she reached.

A gust of stale air, thick with the smell of old paper, dust, ink and parchment, hit her face and she smiled, her eyes widening in wonder.

 _This house is rather good actually. She_ _will_ _be fine here._

* * *

 _Many thanks to Pirocantha, the girl who has to work hard to be able to read this story ahead of everybody else, yet she is never complaining!_

 _And thanks to all of you who like this story and give me the will to continue, you really make all the difference!_


	37. Chapter 37

CHAPTER 37

Snape closed his eyes for a second, recalling the girl's smile as she hugged her wand to herself, sitting on his bed and her beautiful, firm breasts exposed for him to admire. He had made her smile. He had actually managed to make her smile!

As soon as he had seen that, he knew that he had chosen well, leaving all the priceless potion ingredients and rare jewels behind in the Dark Lord's treasure room. Making her happy and safe was what mattered. Not having a proper house for her. Not being able to brew all the potions in the world.

 _FUCK!_

 _Shit! He_ _'d_ _botched the potion yet again!_

Pulling out his wand, he cast an 'Evanesco' on the concoction that had turned an ugly shade of pink, reminding him of Umbridge, instead of the radiant red that it was expected to adopt.

 _Crap, he would have to stop thinking about her if he wanted to brew this correctly today._ First, his hand had twitched at the wrong moment, adding one extra drop of the Acromantula venom, now he missed the right moment to stir it. It had NEVER ever happened to him that he would botch a potion twice. It was years ago that it had happened at all! _Was he a Potion Master or a horny fifth year?!_

The Dark Lord would remind him of his duties surely, a Crucio or two for asking for another ration of the ingredients. _Fuck the bastard!_

Squeezing the apex of his nose with his fingers and his eyes shut to clear his vision and mind, all he could see were her gorgeous nipples, peeking at him from the gap in his cloak, and his cock twitched at that - he could not even blame the last Cruciatus session for that, unfortunately. No more brewing today then.

 _Shit, he was screwed._

Even when he had had her only a few hours prior, he still had to use all his control and restraint to calm himself and his erection when he saw her there, naked and smiling at him; he'd wanted to kiss her like he never had before. It took long minutes of staring out of the dusty window, which he had spent so many days and months locked behind as a boy, to remind himself of the situation they were in. To tell himself over and over again that she did not want him to kiss her and never would. That the smile wasn't really for him but for the wand... Still, he was lusting after her like a horny teenager. _How awkward... Did he really not have any dignity left?!_

Fuming over his own thoughts and squeezing the beating stone in his palm, Severus ascended the staircase to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore's office; he still couldn't bring himself to think of that room as his even though he had been the headmaster of this school for nearly a year now. Yet, it always felt so strange to place himself on the opposite side of the table he had spend so many hours at, talking to the old man...

Sitting down in the soft, cushioned armchair, he searched his pockets to find a pen - he kept hiding that thing as he would any openly Muggle thing in his situation and position but he was alone at the moment - when he touched something hard and angular instead. _The girl's diary._ _Damn,_ _he_ _'d_ _forgotten_ _to return it to her._

Pulling it out to be able to extract the pen, the book opened and he glimpsed his name on the page, done in capital letters in her nice script - 'For Snape'. Was there a message for him there?

Intrigued, he spread the pages fully and began reading.

 **-FOR SNAPE-**

 **-THE PIG-**

Knockback Jinx

Oppugno Jinx

Revulsion Jinx

Bat-Bogey Hex

Bone-Crushing Hex

Stinging Hex

 _Sectumsempra_

Cruciatus Curse

Imperius Curse

Killing Curse

 _..._

The list continued on to the next page too, but he never turned it to see. This was not a message for him, he shouldn't be reading it.

Sighing tiredly, he closed the small book. Damn, the girl really hated him but he hadn't realised how much up until now. It was very like her to write all the curses down so she would not forget anything... She probably only planned to suffer him until he had found a way to release the two morons she called her friends, and then she would use this to get rid of him. He was only ever a tool, always to be discarded as soon as the time of its usefulness passes; it shouldn't really surprise him at all. Fair enough, she deserved to take her vengeance, for there was no one else in the world of the living that he had hurt more. He had given her her wand so she could do it at any time - it was not like he was going to fight her, ever - still, he rather hoped she would wait till the matters were at least a bit settled.

Fuck, he really needed to free the brats as soon as possible, no matter what the cost.

* * *

Checking his pockets to make sure he had everything he wanted to bring for her, he stepped into the fireplace; he did not even need to say the address as it was already connected only to Spinner's End for safety reasons. He did not want to Apparate there and thus alert the guards of his visits. It was also much quicker this way.

Putting the items on the wobbly kitchen table and then going straight to the library - that's where he kept finding her for the past four days, regardless of the time he had selected to come for a visit - he sat in the rickety armchair in the corner, as was his habit of late, and waited for her to acknowledge him. Sometimes it took minutes, sometimes seconds. The last time it had been nearly an hour before she finally looked up from the book and noticed him sitting there.

He had never met anyone before who could read with such a passionate zeal and he rather enjoyed watching her while she was at it, so he wasn't complaining in the slightest. He wasn't bothering her either obviously. Her quiet company was so very relaxing after his day of worries and never ending stress over all the students who had been punished and bullied that week while he was mostly powerless and unable to help in some inconspicuous way... Moreover, it gave him the opportunity to observe her when he dared to, letting his eyes stray from the pages of the book or magazine he had always selected for himself to make it look like he was reading too.

Her forehead was slightly frowned as she was focusing on the letters, remembering everything in detail, no doubt. Her hair kept getting in her eyes and she swept at it every few minutes, although she probably didn't even notice it herself. Good that he thought of ordering some hair bands, brushes and clips for her; he rather liked her with her hair free but he understood that it could get quite impractical at times.

She appeared to have lost some more weight though; he had commented on that two times already, reminding her to eat on a regular basis. She never listened obviously and he saw bones becoming even more prominent on her pale, slender hands as she held the heavy book.

She bit at her lip at that moment and moved to mark something down on a piece of parchment that she had spread next to the sofa she tended to sit on the most often. She didn't finish the movement though. Her eyes came to rest on his form instead and she froze, obviously forgetting what she had wanted to write.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," he greeted her quietly and put down the Potions Weekly magazine he had been pretending to peruse. She only nodded in response, an insecure expression appearing on her face. _Damn, he always did everything in his power to seem harmless and nonthreatening to her and still it wasn't working..._

"How was your day?" he asked her then, as usual.

"Fine," she answered shortly - no change there either. She never elaborated on that, never asked back. _He will try_ _again_ _the next day, then._

They watched each other for a few seconds.

"I have brought some things that you may want; they are in the kitchen. Is there anything else you lack here?" he inquired then, hoping he would finally make her talk to him this time.

She shook her head to let him know that she didn't. She never spoke to him if she absolutely did not need to - not even to ask for the basics like shampoo or toiletries. She had never even told him what clothes to order for her, leaving him to choose even though he was at a loss for what to pick. He hoped the few pieces of clothes he had dared to bring today would not be too ugly for her this time - she had never used anything he had brought before except for the simple, white underwear, sticking to his old shirts and trousers that she had adjusted to fit her instead. Not that it did not suit her, he had to admit; the white shirts hugged her slender body perfectly, letting him see the outlines of her bra, and her ass looked so gorgeous in the simple, black trousers... Yet he noticed all of it currently hung rather loosely on her.

"You should be eating more," he told her again, trying to look stern.

"Yes, daddy," she replied, dropping her eyes back into the book whilst all of his thoughts froze, leaving him gaping at her.

 _What the FUCK?!_

Standing up and leaving her there before he did or said something rash, he just about ran to the fireplace, feeling the dust whirl around him as his magic started to escape his control, going awry.

FUCK!

"SHIT!" he yelled aloud as soon as he saw the headmaster portraits, his legs still in the green flames and the furniture in the room shaking already.

 _So this was what she_ _saw_ _in him - he is too old for her obviously, o_ _n t_ _op of everything! Yes, he could have been her father - she was only 18, damn! By the wizarding standards it wasn't a big difference; it was common to live up to 150 so some 20 years was not such a big deal but she was a Muggleborn. She only saw him as an old, disgusting pervert who was there to rape her... No wonder she never wanted to talk to him!_

Severus grabbed that books and potions piled on his desk and swiped them to the floor, revelling in the cracks in the broken glass. The contents of the shelves were next. Then the armchairs were thrown against the wall, causing the portraits to squeak and run for cover.

 _'Yes, daddy!'_

 _Fucking Merlin's crap!_

But then he halted suddenly and his hand, outstretched to tear down the empty frames, hung motionless in the air. The window panes finally stopped their rattling and crackling as all the fight and anger had left him at once, no trace of it left.

 _Daddy. Her not eating properly and looking somewhat sick. Her saying_ _i_ _t_ _quietly, with no venom in it, like she simply wanted to tell him. She never uttered a word more than she had to. It has been over a month now since they..._

 _Fuck._

 _He IS a daddy then..._

 _Sh_ _e_ _'_ _s pregnant._

* * *

 _Sorry for the cliffhanger - again!  
_

 _Many thanks to all those who reviewed and to Pirocantha The Brave who managed to conquer this chapter!_

 _Let me know what you think, please! :-)_


	38. Chapter 38

_Hello, guys! I am so sorry to leave you hanging for so long!_

 _Hopefully you will not be too disappointed by this one..._

* * *

CHAPTER 38

 _Damn_ _!_ _D_ _idn't the man say the Mark wouldn't hurt all the time?!_ Hermione despaired again silently as she looked herself over in the rusty mirror. Turning her back to it to see the dark letters etched into her skin, the tissue was all swollen and red where it touched the black tattoo. She did everything in her power to not make him angry with her so he would not feel the need to punish her for it any more; never talking or asking much - she knew he hated it, even back when she had been still at school - and never complaining about anything...

True enough, he had very different standards of what was painful and what was not. Perhaps this constant itching, stinging and pulling was normal and he'd gotten used to it to a point where he simply forgot about the mild pain being there.

Putting down the towel she had used to dry herself, she dressed in his old shirt and trousers again - she was NOT about to be forced to be grateful for anything he purchased for her specifically and she would not owe him any more than she already did with no way of knowing how to repay him - and went to the library, immersing into her daily routine as usual. The books always managed to make her forget; about the pain, about the situation, about the boys, about food, about Snape, about having only two days left before they would have to do it again...

Seemingly endless shelves of books lined every wall of the library; she would never have to worry about running out of reading material. He no doubt wanted to make sure she would not want him to borrow any more for her so he took care to stock this ruin of a house to the brim with tomes of every kind. It was also rather clear it was done only after he had acquired the building, as they were the only part of it that appeared clean and well-kept. There were more than enough to keep her busy for a year.

Selecting one about healing again - she had promised herself that she would learn more about that branch of magic as soon as possible - she got to reading and marking down the useful incantations on a separate sheet of parchment. If only there was a place to brew potions somewhere in here... The lack of a potions lab pointed to this house never being Snape's home too as she was sure he would fix himself a work space if he were ever to live there himself.

The man seem to like intruding on her though, ensuring there was never a day that she was left unsupervised. He was probably afraid she might burn the rickety structure down and make him buy a new prison for her. As if having the stone and the guarding Death Eaters to spy on her was not enough for him...

She glanced at the empty armchair he liked to sit on, reading. There were probably some books he had not managed to read before moving them here so he needed to catch up. Fortunately, he never stayed long, always finding an excuse to leave soon after she had noticed him. She rather hoped today would be no different.

But now about the Burn Healing Charms...

* * *

 _Obsero Vulnum_ , _the wand movement swiping across the wound_... _Obsero Vulnum_... _Damn, where is that parchment?!_

Letting her eyes roam over the room, she suddenly noticed the armchair was not empty any more.

 _Blast it! Snape! Just how exactly did the man manage to creep on her every time without her ever hearing him?!_

It took only seconds for him to put the magazine down to survey her and ask the usual questions. As if he cared! He should rather say directly that he was only interested in what she had been up to when reading her diary had lost his interest - yes, she knew he had, although he returned it to her only a day later, leaving it lying on the desk in the kitchen as if nothing had happened. She had tied one of her hairs around it to see if he would open it and it was torn... The nosy jerk... It was very fortunate she never wrote anything that could be used against her in it.

"You should be eating more," came next, making her look at him. Now he dared to nag her about food again - he obviously liked his women to be a bit more chubby. Too bad for him; he would have to manage with what she had. She was not about to interrupt her reading just to get some fatty food and make him happier with her breasts.

"Yes, daddy," she answered, reminding him he was not her dad - who had admittedly always used the very same tone to tell her to eat all her vegetables at dinner - and he could not order her around over something like that.

Surprisingly, it seemed to work, making him rise from his chair and leave her alone with no further comment. He hopefully was not so thick as to misunderstand the hint when it was served clear to him...

* * *

He never came the next day and it made her both slightly nervous and relieved - did he forget to check on her? Or did he really get the clue and decide to leave her alone? She only hoped - and feared at the same time - he would remember tomorrow and come to do the deed. Skinny as she was, he could still close his eyes and think of his wife or girlfriend, right? He had never appeared to have trouble pretending before...

* * *

Eyeing the old clock on the cracked wall with worry, she contemplated sending a Patronus to him, hoping it would reach the man. It was half past eleven already; they had only 30 minutes until Sunday would end, taking her life with it if he had not been lying about that. It was Sunday too, exactly a week ago, when they were in the Rape Room together, although it seemed like an eternity now...

Hoping he WAS lying and not torturing her like that on purpose, making her beg for him to come, she raised her wand to cast the spell only to see it sizzle in the void. Not even the vapour appeared. Picking another memory that had always worked before, she tried it again. Nothing. Damn! Not the Patronus then!

Digging into her memory urgently for another means of distant communication, she heard the Floo ignite and hurried to the living room, hoping it was really Snape, preferably in a good mood this time...

Hell, he did NOT appear to be in a good mood; his expression was cold, unreadable and closed. He never even greeted her, making an attempt as he usually did, only pressed a vial into her hand.

"Drink it. It should keep the nausea at bay for some time," he told her, looking her over closely with those lifeless eyes of his.

"Nausea? What nausea?" she asked then, confused. Was he about to do something to her today that would make her feel like vomiting? Like that thing Crabbe did to the poor woman a week ago? He was probably envious of him getting that when he himself was not and he did not want her to puke all over him while she would be doing it.

"The one you are experiencing now, obviously! Unless you have decided to get rid of it without consulting with me, of course," he said, his voice colder still, puzzling her even more.

"Getting rid of what? I am not nauseous!" she reasoned with him, angry. _Could he not speak clearly for once in his life? Could he simply not tell her what he wants from her to turn himself on, do the thing and leave her in peace?! Was she asking so much of him?!_

"The baby, what else?!" he said, his voice getting louder too and making her stop.

"What baby?" she asked after a few seconds, perplexed. What was he talking about now?! The man really was not making any sense!

"The baby you are - or were - expecting!" he all but yelled at her, gesturing with his hands towards her belly. She glanced at it too and a new wave of panic hit her like a fist to her stomach. _A baby? A BABY?! Did he cast some spell on her when she was not looking so he knew even before she did? No, it couldn't be... I just couldn't! Yes, her period_ _was_ _slightly delayed but it had to be due to the stress, surely! I_ _t_ _had happened before!_

To be honest, she never thought about the possibility of getting pregnant much; it just seemed too surreal, too unlikely. She was too young for that, under too much pressure and barely even started to live sexually - if one could call THAT a life. Many people were trying deliberately for years and still were not lucky enough to conceive. Especially the witches who never had many children in general - with the exception of Mrs Weasley of course - due to their magic which often got in the way and discerned their baby as an intruder in the body.

Of course, she imagined she would be a mother one day, caring tenderly for the small, cute being that would be half her and half the person she would love the most one day; yet it was Snape's baby they were talking about... Born from rape. The child of this unfeeling, cold bastard who would never ever love him or her as a father should...

Still staring dumbfoundedly at her belly, she just about forgot that Snape was still in the room with her, her mind too busy on what she had just discovered.

"It's too late to regret anything, Miss Granger," he told her then icily and she startled, returning her eyes back to his. _Merlin, as if she ever had any choice in this! As if she got caught and bound to him voluntarily!_

"There was hardly ever any alternative for me in this, was there?" she asked sarcastically, sneering at him.

"There always is one! You could have told me before doing it at the very least! I would have tried to help you, whatever you chose to do!"

"All the Contraception Potions and charms are forbidden and highly illegal as you well know; I highly doubt you would help me - you are only bragging now that it's too late!" she accused him, angry even as her Mark started to burn even more than usual. She was making him angry, yet she didn't really care at the moment.

"Everything is better than to actually kill the baby!" he shouted, making her cringe and grasp at her belly unconsciously. _He might not like the baby but there is no way she would let him kill it! It was hers too!_

"No one will kill the baby!" she yelled at him, defensive. _She simply won't let him!_

"You have just told me you did!" he accused and her Mark gave her a painful jolt, making her flinch.

"No, I didn't! I didn't even know I am expecting until you said so a few minutes ago!" she cried, still holding her stomach protectively.

Snape froze in place at that.

"It was you who told me, two days back!" he objected, not making any sense again. _What?!_

"What do you mean by that? I have never mentioned any baby to you, ever!" she reminded him loudly.

"No?! And what about calling me a 'daddy' out of a sudden?!" he yelled.

 _That's what he really meant?! He can't be serious!_

"Merlin, that was a joke! A joke so you would leave me alone and not bother me about food all the time!" she screamed at him, breathing hard.

Everything went silent after that. Snape only stared at her bewilderedly.

"You were _joking_ about being pregnant?" he asked then, dangerous sparks in his eyes.

"I wasn't! I never meant anything by that!" she defended herself indignantly even as her shoulder seared in pain. _It wasn't her fault he had interpreted it in this way!_

He then pulled out his wand - she never managed to touch hers before his was pointing at her - and waved it over her in a sweepy motion. After a second there was a flash of red light in front of her, shining bright for a moment before it disappeared. She swore she heard him mutter something that sounded like 'fuck!' under his breath.

"Go to the bedroom!" he ordered her then, coldly. She surveyed him, hating his tone. She would not be ordered around like a naughty child!

"I said go to the bedroom or I will make you! Now! We only have 15 minutes left for this!" he barked at her, pointing towards the door. Hermione glanced at the clock again. Damn! So he was probably NOT lying about that!

Forcing her legs to move, she entered the room. She nearly never went there as she spent most of her time in the library, sleeping there too when she felt like it. The bed was scaring her for a reason. Now the reason would gain a very specific form...

Unsure, she glanced back at him, striding after her and slamming the door shut, his anger still very palpable. _This would hurt. In a very different way than her shoulder did_ _!_

"Lie on the bed!" he commanded then and she did, shaking slightly, hugging the dusty pillow to herself for comfort and not making any sound although she very much felt like crying. Then she flinched as her trousers were torn from her, revealing her butt. The belt hit the floor along with his pants and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to make herself forget what it had always meant. What he was about to do. _Just don't move, don't make it even worse for yourself..._

The bed sagged and creaked as his weight was added on it and she felt him cast the spell on her, making her uncomfortably wet down there. Then he spread her legs, lifted her body to himself and wasted no time in pushing that big, hot thing into her, stretching her and filling her with himself, and she felt tears pour down her cheeks. _Damn, how could she ever suppose this would_ _g_ _et_ _better over time? Or that he would try to be nicer to her when they were here? She was so stupid!_

Forced to move along with him as he bumped his hips into her in a regular rhythm, she felt her body being invaded and thrust into forcibly, him panting audibly over her and her stomach turned at that - it was very fortunate she was unable to eat while she was so nervous, waiting for him. Waiting for THIS!

Biting into the pillow to stop herself from sobbing aloud, she embraced it even tighter. But then he grabbed her by the shoulder, that never stopped torturing her, and she couldn't help herself not to cry out. The sound was muffled against the cushion but she was quite sure he had heard it. It did not made him stop though; if anything, he only added to his pace, trying to reach as deep into her as he possibly could, his movements hard, quick and rough and never letting go of her shoulder, gripping it with force...

Then he stilled finally, groaning quietly, and she felt herself being stuffed with the hot slime that he had discharged from that thing of his as it still twitched inside of her.

She couldn't help but feel sorry that they had obviously managed to do it in time. She never wanted to go through this again. She never wanted him inside of her again. She would be much happier if it all simply ended now.

 _Oh, how she hated him! If only he had just left her alone!_

A sob escaped her then and she felt him withdraw from her at last, pulling that slimy thing with him and out of her. She never looked around at him, never wanted to see him.

She heard him dress himself, but the door had not creaked yet. He was still with her in the room, the bastard, gloating obviously.

After several minutes, he broke the silence.

"I am sorry, Miss Granger, I-"

No, she wouldn't listen to that! He could keep his crap to himself!

"Go away!" she interrupted him, her head still burrowed in the pillow. He still did not move.

"Go away! I've had enough! You've done enough! I never want to see you again!" she all but cried at him, still hiding behind the cushion. _She won't let him see her tears. Not again. He won't laugh at her for them!_

Finally, she heard him exit the room and the fireplace flare into life, swallowing his form with no doubt, and she threw the pillow away, letting the tears flow unchecked, sobs wracking her whole body that she had been unable to move ever since he had joined his with it.

 _Merlin,_ _HOW_ _could_ _she survive this 49 more times?!_

* * *

 _ _Don't curse me, please - it will all come eventually, whatever you consider "it" to be!__

 _Many big thanks to Pirocantha for helping with this - it's been already 20 chapters that she made into something much better!_

 _And thanks to all of you who review; it's you who give me the strength and make me smile :-)_


	39. Chapter 39

CHAPTER 39

 _He is going to be a father._

 _Fuck! He is going to be a father!_

Yes, Severus knew it could come to that, yet it never made him expect it. It never prepared him for this insecurity, cluelessness and doubts.

Damn, he always anticipated to die before anything like that happens. Always supposed they would never actually manage to conceive the child. Always thought that she would be rid of him for good when he is killed...

Now she wouldn't - he had managed to find yet another way to brand her for life, burdening her with a child she did not want, fathered by a man she abhorred... Even if he dies now, she would only remain alone to care for the baby, hating him even more for that. Ending up like his mother did - caged in a union with a man she detested, his kid to weight her down, withering slowly till there would be no life in her left...

Shit, he did not even know what to say to her. How to apologize. How to help...

The only thing that occurred to him so far was to brew the Anti-Nausea Potion for her - the only one that was safe to drink while pregnant and very expensive because of the rare ingredients it was composed of. He really hoped it would be enough for some time; he did not have the ingredients for another and the order he had made would take weeks to be delivered...

Clutching the vial in his hand, he stared at the fireplace, lost as to what to do. Lost as to what to think. Too damn cowardly to go and talk to her finally...

* * *

It was only the next day and past eleven in the evening when he had collected the courage at last and stepped into the green flames, nervous and unsure about this to the extend he hadn't been about anything in years. That had to end now. They had to agree on what to do next even though it could all go wrong and awkward very easily. They needed to talk about this...

And talk they did; only he could not believe his ears what he heard with them. First, the girl told him she had got rid of the baby, never telling him of this beforehand and rupturing ruthlessly that little bubble of hope and joy he felt at being a father and that he was not even aware dwelt in him until it was gone... Then she had the gall to say she was joking about the whole thing! JOKING!

Severus was not that angry with anyone in years - maybe outside a duel, he would start cursing the person long ago if it was just anyone else - and now had to do everything in his power to stay somewhat calm; not tearing down the ruin of a house for good at least. How did the girl dare do this to him! Using his sentiments for her against him like this!

She probably just wanted to avoid having to sleep with him again, disgusted with him as she was, fuck! Lying so that she would be able to die now, painlessly! He should not have told her that bit, it would be better to keep it for himself... Maybe she didn't even believe him she would die if they would not do this, thinking he had made everything up!

 _It was only luck that he had arrived in time; she would probably never summon him on her own_ , he thought, glancing at the old clock on the wall.

 _Shit!_

Checking her with a spell to see if she was not joking NOW too, he saw the light go red and that only ever meant one thing - she was NOT pregnant. _Damn!_

"Go to the bedroom!" he told her. She never did that, the stubborn witch! Was it better to die than to go through this with him? Really?!

"I said go to the bedroom or I will make you! Now! We only have 15 minutes left for this!" he tried to intimidate her, although the threat was entirely empty; he would never actually force her. He would much sooner kill himself before it would have come to that...

Fortunately, she obeyed then, started moving and lain herself on the bed, holding a pillow to herself - probably to hide from him, ashamed of her behavior as she should be!

Having no time to waste and no wish to embarrass her by undressing her fully, he only tore down her trousers and knickers, seeing immediately she had lost another pound since he had seen her last, two days ago. The girl would never listen!

Pulling his own trousers and boxers down too, he joined her there, cast the Lubricating Spell and directed himself into her with no preamble. They needed to hurry and he did, hoping it would be enough and he could make himself come in the few minutes they had left. There was always the potion in his pocket, if it didn't work out... It would kill him quickly; it would hurt her but she would survive. _She HAD to survive!_

Aiming his attention on her soft slim body and her warmth, he made himself forget about everything except the time and fucked her like it was the last time in his life. It probably was...

Holding her by her shoulder, she moaned into the pillow, sending a jolt of excitement through him and making his cock harden even further. Fuck, he had made her moan for him! She obviously liked it like this!

Thrusting into her with a new fervour, he felt himself being swept by the pleasure, the mounting delight exploding around him and making him push himself into her as deep as he could get, spending himself in her tight sweet pussy with a groan that he could not stifle entirely.

 _Fuck!_

His breathing still labored, he tried to calm himself down enough to pull himself out, tear himself from her smell and skin. They had made it again. She was alive, that was what mattered. She shook under him slightly and he paid attention not to put any weight on her delicate form. But then she sobbed quietly and that made him return to his senses immediately. _Something was not right. Shit!_

Looking her over, it was obvious she had been crying for some time now, her face pink and the pillow rather wet from her tears.

He had managed to hurt her somehow. Damn him to the Chamber of Secrets!

"I am sorry, Miss Granger, I-" he tried to apologize for whatever he had done wrong but she did not let him.

"Go away!" she cried at him, her voice muffled by the pillow. He only stared at her, at lost for what to do to make this right.

"Go away! I've had enough! You've done enough! I never want to see you again!", she repeated her order and he felt his legs moving, obeying her on instinct. He would go if she wanted him gone. That was something he understood well enough; his company was generally not welcome by anyone. It was no wonder, really.

 _Crap, he had managed to hurt her! Fuck!_

Disappearing in the green flames, he felt his eyes sting. _It was the ash getting in his eyes again, surely._

* * *

"I never want to see you again," Hermione said, sneering and sliced her wrists with a glass shard, looking straight into his eyes. "Death is far better than you touching me ever again, you pig!"

Snape rushed to help her, to stop the bleeding, but he was held in place by invisible ropes, never able to reach her as the life slowly deserted her face, leaving it blank and pale.

"No!" he yelled and fought against the restraints. _This can't be! This is not possible! She promised not to do it!_

He opened his eyes then, facing the ceiling of the bedroom. Everything was dead silent suddenly. His bedroom. Hogwarts.

All sweaty and tangled in the sheets, he swept at his face to clear his vision from the salty liquid and found the stone under his pillow. It was beating.

 _Thud, thud, thud..._

It was four days now since he had seen her. Since he had made her cry again. Four days that he spent clutching the stone feverishly and trying to find a way to apologize that she would accept. So far he had decided to comply with her wishes and left her alone, only checking on her from afar through the stone, although it didn't keep him from spending long hours in front of the fireplace in his office, thinking of what she was doing, imagining her reading, the hair falling in her face constantly...

The only time he had seen her was in his nightmares now, hurting and dying. He never wanted to go to sleep again, yet he had to. His stupid body still required about two or three hours of sleep a day.

He missed her, damn.

 _Thud, thud, thud, thud..._

The beating became quicker for a reason and it made him sit up in the bed, watching the stone closely. _What was going on? Was she afraid of something? Did someone overcome the wards and get into the house?_

Glancing at his watch, he saw it was two in the morning. She should be sleeping... Yet the stone still pounded into his palm, the beats too rapid.

 _Fuck, something is happening!_

Grabbing his outer teaching robes and draping them hastily across his shirt that he wore for sleeping, he went straight for the fireplace, throwing the Floo powder in and stepping inside, his left hand never leaving the stone.

It was dead quiet in the dusty house and he quickly checked the rooms, looking for her. She was not in the bedroom, sleeping. Not in the kitchen for some night snack. Not even in the bathroom to shower.

Finally, he had found her in the library, sleeping on the sofa she liked so much to use for her reading. He would think she simply fell asleep over a book but her wearing a nightshirt and a book nowhere in sight testified to this being a common routine. He let out a deep breath, relieved. She was there. No one kidnapped her, she was safe...

He could not help himself to not observe her beautiful form, sleeping in the dim light that was cast from the distant street lamp. Her back was turned to him as she was sleeping on her side, hugging a pillow. The outlines of her - HIS! - Mark were clearly visible and that made him frown, focusing on the letters.

It did not look to be fine. The skin around the black inscription seemed pink and swollen, her body and magic obviously rejecting the brand and trying to push it out. She likely was not honest in claiming she had accepted it, feeling her choice to be forced. Never trusting him enough for it to work. Never telling him about it hurting her... _Fuck, he should have checked on it sooner, seeing it for himself! Why did she not tell him?!_

She tossed on the sofa then, murmuring something unintelligible and clutched at the pillow forcibly, making her knuckles go white. Her features folded into an expression of pain in the next second, her eyes squeezed, and he knew now what had made her heart beat so fast; she was having nightmares, same as he did only a few minutes ago.

Making a few steps towards her, worried, he tried to rouse her.

"Miss Granger!" he called her, his tones low. She only stirred at that, murmuring.

"Miss Granger, it's going to be alright..." he said quietly, soothing, and reached out his hand to touch her back to reassure her.

As soon as his fingers made contact with her skin, he was blasted backwards, hitting and breaking the shelves that lined the walls, his wand knocked out from him. A _Flippendo,_ then an _Oppugno,_ the first and the second from her 'list'. Both very strong at that.

His head hit the wall hard, making his vision swim and one of the wooden boards broke, finding its way through his shoulder and lung, pinning him effectively in place. He stared at the protruding wood he was impaled with, only mildly surprised in his slightly dazzled state. So that was what she had meant by never wanting to see him again... It was not an empty threat, obviously. That was why she had never told him of the Mark going awry - she never planned to let him live long enough for it to truly matter...

He looked up and saw her there, in the dim light, her wand held high above him, looking him over obviously. Beautiful as ever. Checking if there was any need to finish what she had started so well... The _Relashio_ would probably come next and he knew he would not survive that - as soon as he was moved and the piece of wood would be pulled out from him, the bleeding would start in full, entering his lung and suffocating him. He had had something like that before and only barely managed to outlive the injury - and that was when he was still armed, his opponent disabled and with his potions at hand in his Death Eater robes. He was doomed now.

Holding his hands in front of him in an attempt to stall her and to show her they were empty so he was not a threat any more, he saw that she had really stopped in her approach and pointed her wand lower; it surprised him to no end. The girl was indeed too good for her own good, letting him say what he wanted to before she would do it, giving him the chance to apologize again at the very least. A chance to die peacefully. It was far more than he deserved, in fact.

"I am sorry, Miss Granger. I don't know what exactly I did wrong the last time we saw each other but-" he started apologizing again, yet she never let him finish that. He was not so lucky then...

"Now is not the time for this!" she interjected, raising her wand again.

"Fine then. The memories are hidden in the upper kitchen cabinet, the one in the middle. Give them to Potter when the time comes if you get the chance. All the potions that I stored here are in the bathroom, the password for the shelf to reveal itself is _"Help"._ Please, take the pain killer - the proper one, it's labeled for you - before you do this, it will stop the pain from the Mark. You should manage just in time before I bleed out on my own. The wards should stay in place even after I pass out; they are of the permanent kind and you will inherit the building, so you don't have to hurry too much. It could be useful as a safe house for you, should you wish to use it any longer," he took a laborious breath, finding it harder still to fill his lungs with air. She never moved. That was good...

"I would also strongly suggest using the Floo to get out, as the grounds are guarded and you could get hurt easily if you simply exit through the door. The Floo Powder is hidden behind the third brick in the mantelpiece if you have not discovered it yet by yourself; it leads directly into my office at Hogwarts, you are keyed to both enter and leave. Ask the portraits for help to avoid the Carrows, Filch and Umbridge and to find Longbottom, he knows a way to get you safely into Hogsmeade. Find Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother, he would help you. There is _Felis Felicis_ simmering in my lab, nearly ready. Take that too, if you have the time and opportunity..." He wheezed, struggling for breath.

"Shut up, you are blathering," she snapped at him and raised her wand again, this time with a determined air to her. He obeyed, being given no other choice in this. He was about finished anyway, so it didn't matter too much. Just this one thing...

"I am really sorry for-" Yet he had never said what exactly it was he was apologizing for before he saw the flash of her spell.

There was only darkness for him then...

* * *

 _A cliffhanger - I know! I just can't help myself and I am sorry!_

 _This chapter is not edited - any mistakes you have found in it are entirely my own now. To make up for that, there will be a new chapter in every two days till I will run out of stored chapters. So a busy month is ahead of you all if you will like to witness it and continue reading!_

 _Pirocantha will still be helping but at her own pace so I don't bother her too much (hopefully!)._

 _Any reviews and comments are highly welcome - as always!_

 _Hugs and kisses to all!_


	40. Chapter 40

_This chapter is dedicated to Violet97mc, Emmaficready, Fantomette34, geekymom, fanartlee, FrancineHibiscus, Liesl Snake, cha-chris and BarbaraLM who all reviewed or wrote a PM for the last one and made me so happy about this thing!_

* * *

CHAPTER 40

Hermione prepared herself to go to bed - not a big ritual, admittedly, but she always at least showered, brushed her teeth and dressed into her nightshirt which she managed to transfigure for herself from one of the white shirts that Snape had left here. Going straight for the library and never even glancing at the door to the bedroom - she would not enter that room ever again if she has any choice in this - she made herself comfortable on the old sofa, closing her eyes and trying not to think too much.

Her Mark hurt as it always did; not as much as a few days ago when she was arguing with him, that was certain. Snape was probably not that angry at her any more, not punishing her much, only the normal level of nastiness that was so typical for him. Being at home and not spending a part of his evenings with her had probably improved his mood considerably. That was fine with her. She was fine with being alone. She would get used to it soon. She had her books...

* * *

Her hands were forcibly lifted above her head and stuck there yet she could never see them - or anything else - for the black cloth around her head. Someone was laughing, mocking her, ridiculing her naked body. Calling her a whore again. Two meaty hands pawed at her breasts, pinching and squeezing her nipples, hurting her, and she tried to shake them off, twisting in her chains uselessly. Her whole body hurt and something was burning into her shoulder, making her close her eyes and pray for this Hell to end finally. If only she had her wand...

Her fingers found something wooden then, just next to the spot they were bound to. A wand! She had her wand this time! She can protect herself finally!

She felt someone approaching her from behind, touching her back and obviously about to rape her, and she whirled around, finally free from the chains.

There was a loud 'bang' as the noise of an impact and wood splintering shook the air around her. Hermione opened her eyes, startled at the sound and looked around herself in panic, confused by the surrounding darkness briefly. But then she noticed Snape, lodged in the shelves opposite to the sofa. She glanced at the wand in her hand and felt her heart skip a beat.

 _Damn!_

Hermione quickly made a few steps towards him to help him - he looked to be injured, even in the weak light - but he stalled her in that, outstretching his hands towards her. He probably did not want any assistance, knowing how to help himself, so she stopped where she stood, waiting for him to do something with her forehead frowned in worry and biting at her lip. _Merlin, he did not look good..._

But the man only started doing what SHE had planned to do eventually; apologizing! He sounded rather breathy at that, he had probably broken some of his ribs as he fell...

"Now is not the time for this!" she told him, serious - they could talk later when he is all mended up, there was no room for this kind of things right now!

Yet Snape only continued in his tirade, managing to astonish her to the extend that it left her speechless; she was not as restricted here as she had thought herself to be, obviously. _Wait, did he say SHE would inherit this house if he died? Why, for Merlin's sake?! And Felis Felicis?! He was really able to brew that thing?_

But then Snape took a painful breath and she saw a bit of blood in the corner of his mouth. Damn, he had some kind of internal bleeding! They really had no time for this, he was only making it worse by his speech, no matter how intriguing the content of it was. This had to stop now.

"Shut up, you are blathering," she tried to reason with him to make him rest. At least she knew where to find the needed potions now; hopefully her newly gained knowledge would be enough to take care of the rest. He did not appear to try to heal himself at all, probably not truly caring about his health as usual, thinking himself immortal. Leaving her to care for him again. _Bastard._

"I am really sorry for-"

That was the last drop for her; she saw the blood form into a small bubble at the corner of his mouth. He probably had something with his lungs. No more speaking for him - she would make sure of that.

As soon as the Sleeping Charm made him close his eyes, she ran to the bathroom, saying "Help" as he had instructed. The shelf appeared to the right from the rusty mirror and was obviously well stocked; there were more than 20 bottles of the most frequently needed potions and salves and she wasted no time in sweeping everything into her arms and bringing it to the library, setting it on the floor next to the man so she had everything at hand.

She switched the lights on and cast the Diagnostic Charm on him even before she had noticed there was a piece of wood sticking out of his chest.

 _Merlin! How was he even able to speak with that?!_

She forced herself to stop staring at it to check the results when the Spell shone in front of his body. Light green, there was something with his skull, probably a fracture judging by the shade of it. Afterwards it turned to olive green; a broken bone or several of them. Then there was a flash of violet that the books described to mean bleeding, both internal and external. Yes, she could surely see that one! Finally, the light turned grey which meant malnutrition and depletion. _Damn the arrogant man! And he was preaching to HER about not eating properly!_ she mussed angrily even as she tried to come up with the best way to fix the most threatening injury; the impaled chest.

Time was really of essence there, she decided. He would bleed out if she did nothing. It was better to risk this than to wait for him to die...

Wrapping her fingers around her wand again firmly, she cast _Winggardium Leviosa_ and saw his form being removed from the wall, emitting a rather disgusting smack as the wood was torn from his body, a pool of blood marking the place where he had landed. Landed after SHE had blasted him there, damn!

Blinking hard to clear her eyes of the tears she was not about to let fall, she laid him on the sofa and immediately pointed the wand to the gaping hole in his lower shoulder that now bled so much that it turned his whole shirt bright red. _Bollocks, she needs to remove it before she mends this or it would get rooted into his flesh as it was inside of the wound too..._

Pointing her wand at the middle of his chest, she held her breath, praying that she would finally do this right, and cast the weakest Cutting Curse she was capable of at the cloth.

It parted immediately, revealing his pale slim chest. Only a shallow scratch was left behind and she decided to ignore that. _It was minor. She did not really hurt him. Not now at least. It will be fine._

Pulling the cloth out of his shoulder along with the teaching robes that he wore over it, she cleaned the injury and quickly cast _Texo_ and _Obsero Vulnum,_ sweeping her wand over the hole repeatedly as the diagram in the book described. Trying not to think too much, trying not to cringe. Trying not to cry. She needed to stay strong for this. He needed her and she would help as much as she could. She was the one who did this to him...

The wound started to close and she hoped it was all done in time; he appeared so pale and she could not see nor feel his chest moving with respiration.

Forgetting about magic and checking his pulse on his neck with her fingers the Muggle way as her parents had taught her, she felt the weak beating under his skin. Yet he never drew a breath.

Casting her sentiments away, she tilted his head back, opened his mouth with one hand and held his nose with the fingers of her other and breathed into his mouth. Rescue breathing it was called, as recalled idly and tried to suppress the confused emotions that flooded through her at touching her lips to his. She had never done that before and it felt somehow improper, especially as he was out and couldn't really object against it.

 _Damn, she was having SEX with this man regularly! She could certainly assist him like that when the situation required it to save his life!_

Still somewhat angry and baffled with herself, she drew her third breath, filling her lungs with oxygen to transfer it into him, when she noticed his eyes were open, observing her with a mixture of confusion, alarm and something she could not really identify.

"As much as I appreciate the gesture, Miss Granger, I am no Sleeping Beauty as you have surely noticed by now..." he remarked weakly, still sarcastic. _The brat!_

Yet her shoulders slumped in relief at that. _He was fine. He would make it. She had made it!_

 _The corners of her mouth lifted, entirely without her instruction, and she smiled then, the fool that she was._

 _Astonishingly, he smiled back._

* * *

 _So that was it! Many of you have guessed what would come, you are a bunch of clever guys - or I am getting too predictable :-D Anyway, the next chapter will appear in two days._

 _Huge thanks to all who are now going to spend a little bit of their time by reviewing and making me smile!_


	41. Chapter 41

_Over 60 000 views now! You guys never cease to amaze me and I thank you for that!_

* * *

CHAPTER 41

Something tore itself from Snape's body as he began floating and he flinched, some of the darkness gone from his mind. _It hurt! Was that the Oppugno?_

 _Shit, will he never rest in peace?!_

The girl probably did not want this to end so quickly. That was her right for sure... He felt blood pouring down his torso and back. She had a minute or two, hopefully she would use it well...

He was laid onto something, making it creak with his weight. The sofa probably. She wanted him comfortable while she was at it? Maybe she just did not want to have to crouch by his side... Good, at least she wouldn't scratch herself against the splinters from the shelves...

Afterwards he felt the tip of a wand pressed at his chest and her voice saying the incantation for the Cutting Curse. Did she want to spill yet more blood? So impatient for him to be gone?

But then he felt her opening his shirt and pulling it over his shoulder along with his robes. Was she undressing him?! Furthermore, the hole in his chest started closing slowly, leaving just a slight sting behind, the tissue of his flesh knitting together, tingling him even from inside. Well, she had not reached the end of her 'list' by far, so Severus might have actually been wrong about one thing a few moments ago - she did not want to shorten his time by making him bleed more; she wanted to prolong this by mending the worst of it to get more time for her vengeance. The Dark Lord certainly did that often enough for it to become a routine in the ranks...

Moreover, she was really good at this - the spells never worked so good nor so fast for him. Even Poppy would be hard pressed to mend something like that in so little time... Either she was highly practiced or a natural Healer; the second far more probable, he supposed. It was exactly her kind of magic - gentle, delicate, caring and helping on instinct - whereas his brand was so much more aggressive and raw...

Holding his breath so that the rest of the blood would not get into his lungs and choke him - she deserved to do what she wished with him, really - and also in preparation for the next curse to come, he felt her cold slim fingers shakily touching his neck, immobilizing him even more effectively than a spell would be able to.

He had not yet recovered from that shock when she moved her fingers to his face, squeezing his nose and opening his mouth, tilting his head back. Did she want to make him swallow some potion now?

But then her warm soft lips touched his and his heart stopped at that, astonished.

 _WHAT?!_

Was she one of those women that got turned on by spilling blood? Well, he never supposed Hermione would have anything in common with Bellatrix but he had never asked her so he could not be sure... Not that he was complaining right now... Yet she had never kissed him before. Damn, she had never even touched him in any remotely erotic manner before!

But then she breathed in his mouth, filling him with that scent of hers. Quite a lot actually, it was no ordinary exhalation that would anyone give while kissing someone, making him feel like he was some kind of a balloon of all things! She never moved her lips or used her tongue either. Some strange habits that this girl had... Or maybe it was HIM who expected something that was not normal; he only ever kissed two women in his life and neither of them ever actually wanted him to... He really was rather ugly; the girl had to be desperate indeed to aim her attentions at him now...

Then she interrupted the contact to breathe in - no wonder she had needed that, actually- and went to press her lips against his again, filling him with that unique smell of hers once more. His cock twitched. _Damn that thing! And here he thought he had bled enough to avoid that!_

She had just taken her third breath that she probably planned to exhale in him again in that way of hers when he could not keep his eyes closed any longer; he had to see her face. He had to see her doing that, no matter the reason for it...

He met her gaze and that made her stop suddenly. She looked rather surprised to him. Was she considering him dead? Was THAT what had aroused her so, making her kiss him like that with no restraints?

There was no way to ask about that now. Or not one that he would survive in case he was wrong. _Merlin!_

Deciding to keep the conversation light, he chanced to joke a bit first, seeing where it would take them. Maybe she would actually answer for once, not brush him off as she always did... Or spell him again with something nasty for his efforts.

"As much as I appreciate the gesture, Miss Granger, I am no Sleeping Beauty as you have surely noticed by now..." he said, watching her closely.

And she smiled. Actually smiled! Although he had just caught her by surprise as she probably thought him unconscious or dead! In spite of her being angry at him for whatever he had done wrong on Sunday! Had it been Lily who he had made cry a few days back, he would bet his soul - or the remainder of it - that she would not speak to him for at least a year, let alone smile in his presence, no matter what he would do to remedy his misconduct...

But Hermione was not Lily.

He smiled back at her. Merlin, if he had known this would make her smile, he would stick that board through himself every day, happily.

"No, you are not. It has worked though, hasn't it?" she returned, still smiling slightly. Joking was a good strategy then. No frowns, no 'fines', no fearful looks. Damn, this was worth it even if this would be the last conversation they would ever have...

"Obviously. It appears you have some unexpected magical skills hidden somewhere. You could make Prince Charming jealous..." he replied, again digging deep into his shallow knowledge of Muggle fairy tales, and tried to prop himself up on his elbows to be able to see her better. He never managed that.

"Hey! You are not going anywhere!" she ordered him and pushed him back down forcibly. He could only stare at her hand, pressing on his bare chest to ground him. His bare, skeletal, ugly and scarred chest, still all dirty by the slowly drying blood that covered it. She did not even appear to be repulsed by that.

Noticing his stare, she removed her hand way too soon - or late? - and looked at him guiltily. She was probably aware that something was not right with her when she had done that voluntarily...

Still blushing, she cast her eyes down, perhaps braving herself to do what she had wanted to do. That would explain her not allowing him to sit up or move...

Damn, he loved the way she blushed and how she could get so bossy and commanding in the next second, still sounding and looking so sweet and innocent, reminding him of an angry kitten. He loved how she could be strong and tender at the same time. He loved when she frowned like this, the little crease forming in between her beautiful eyes as she was thinking... He loved the way she would bite at her lover lip when she thought no one was watching.

His eyes widened.

 _Fuck!_

 _Fuck him to the four Founders!_

 _He loved her._

His mind empty and overloaded at the same time, he knew only one thing for certain now - he was screwed. Royally so. Fucked up beyond all boundaries or reason.

 _Shit!_

All love ever did to him was hurt - it was the best and strongest weapon of the Light as he used to be reminded by that old cot of a headmaster all the time, yet he knew it was far worse than the _Cruciatus_ would ever get. Far crueler. Far more ruthless and unforgiving. With life long consequences and never letting you rest. Always present, no matter what he would do. No potion to cure it.

What was more, he fell in love with THIS girl; a young, clever, gentle, beautiful woman who would never even look his way if she was not forced to. As if Lily had not taught him this lesson only too well; such creatures were just way too high above him. They simply would not reciprocate any feelings with the likes of him - ugly, big nosed, scrawny and scarred bats - no matter what he did or tried to win a tiny bit of their affection. And that was his experience with Lily; he had known her for many years and the worst he had ever done to her was one bad word. With Hermione and everything that she had had to suffer through with him... It was totally hopeless. He was such a frigging moron!

Crap, he really hoped she would kill him today. _Now, preferably._

Drinking in her beautiful face with his eyes, he noticed she was speaking and he made himself to listen, trying to calm his raging heart. _Why couldn't that damn thing remain frozen and dead?!_

"...a fractured skull. There are some potions that could help you too, if you would be willing to take them..." she trailed off, pointing at the pile of bottles that lay next to her.

She was making no sense again.

She was crazy. Still, she was his. Even if she did not want him and never would. He did not really mind anything if it would make her content.

So he just nodded, not able to speak and not even knowing what he was agreeing with. _Damn, he must look like a fool right now, drooling over her like an abandoned lonely puppy..._

She outstretched her hand then, hesitantly, and touched his head, making him flinch. Why would she want to do that?!

She stopped in her movement at that, searching his face for something. Well, she might do anything with him if she wished so. Closing his eyes, he simply let her, trusting her. No matter what she had decided, it would be fine. She would not do anything she did not want, mad as she was.

She stroked his hair then and he had to suppress a moan of pleasure. _Merlin, the girl was just perfect!_

He felt her pointing her wand at his head then. So this was a goodbye? She knew how to make his last seconds happy then... It was a good thing that it would end now, in fact. She would never love him back anyway...

But she only started mending the bones skillfully, removing the pain that lingered in his head. Then it was his ribs and collar bone. Then it was the various scratches that he had acquired recently. Afterwards there was something cold pressing at his lips and he opened his mouth to drink it, never even looking down at the bottle. A Blood Replenisher, a few seconds later another. A Healing potion. A Nutritive Potion. A Pain Killer.

 _Fuck._

"I would suggest you immobilize me first, if you really intend to have me sleeping in the same room you are about to occupy, Miss Granger, as I tend to wake up firing curses. I am not used to company. Even having no wand at my disposal might not be able to thwart that," he warned her. He would NOT risk his stupid nightmares endangering her. And indeed, in a few seconds he felt his limbs pressed to his body, rigid. The _Petrificus._ A good choice.

Something soft and warm got draped across his body.

Sleep took him in seconds.

* * *

 _Before you start yelling at me - yes, I know Snape probably would know what rescue breathing is, being a half-blood and clever, yet I just couldn't resist to make him not to, betting on the off-chance that he 1) was not interested in Muggle medicine 2) his Muggle father - being abusive and rough - did not try to educate him anyhow_ _ _and_ 3) he was not really into TV and other Muggle media. Hopefully you will forgive me for that :-)_

 _I also hope his realization of his feelings did not come too unexpected, instilling the "WHAT?" moment in your mind as BarbaraLM and fanartlee have mentioned in the reviews._

 _Thanks and hugs to all those who indulge me and write a review! I love each and every single letter of them!_


	42. Chapter 42

_I have just noticed that this story has a surprisingly big number of readers from the Czech Republic - my homeland. Takže tahleta kapitola je věnována Vám, lidičky :-)_

 _Huge thanks to all those who are reading, reviewing, following, favoriting and otherwise making me think this thing is totally worth the time I keep spending with it!_

* * *

CHAPTER 42

It was half past four in the morning when Hermione finally mended everything she was able to and covered the lean form of the man with a blanket to let him sleep, still feeling his lips on hers. He never got angry for what she had done. Her Mark did not as much as twitch although the persistent stinging had not left it entirely. Not even when she had apologized to him for hurting him so badly; he only stared at her then, a strange distant expression in his face. Damn, he had even joked with her over the rescue breathing!

Perhaps it was a part of being a Death Eater. Death was a daily routine and it was counted with. Pain and wounds were so common that they had stopped to be registered. Perhaps. Or he was crazy. Much more likely, really. Still, he had let her heal him, trusting her with that. Hopefully, he would not get angry over this later...

 _Damn, she had messed this up really bad._

Rising from the floor tiredly, she went to the bathroom to store the remaining potions back in the shelf and to wash away the sweat and blood she was covered with. When she came out - not wrapped in the usual towel but properly dressed; he was in the house, for Merlin's sake! - she had no thought to go to sleep any more. The sofa was occupied anyway. And the bedroom was out of question. Selecting the armchair that Snape had tended to occupy when he chose to be with her in the library, she folded her legs under herself and shot the rigid man a look. He was Petrified and sleeping, he could not harm her. Wandless, moreover. She had no reason to worry. She was just checking on him, that was clear.

Moving the armchair a bit closer to the sofa - just so she could see him clearly and know immediately when he would wake up - she grabbed the nearest book from the table, _Liquid Magic in the Arts of Healing,_ and resumed reading where she had stopped yesterday, soon getting fully engrossed in the text.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly by the time Hermione realized that she never put off the lights that she had lit in the middle of the night. Finding her wand, she looked up and was just about to cast _'Nox'_ when she noticed a pair of dark eyes resting on her.

 _Damn._

Fixing her eyes to his, she tried to search them for traces of anger or annoyance - Merlin, he could be watching her like that for hours and she had not noticed a thing! Letting him lie there, frozen in place, unable to move or speak. She shouldn't have really bind him fully like that, imprisoning him there with her basically!

But there was only that strange expression in his eyes, somewhat distant, that he had had the night before. No ire at being held from whatever he surely had to be doing by now at Hogwarts.

"Eh... I am sorry," she croaked, her voice rather rusty. He did not respond, of course.

"Finite Incantatem," she said quietly, waving her wand at him, cringing at what would come now.

He sat up slowly, still pale and probably stiff from being held in one position for so long. The shirt that she had cut in half parted and revealed his chest, now marred by yet another fresh scar. He never even glanced at it, only pulling his teaching robes over himself when he had noticed her looking. Still, there was no tirade. No yelling. No curses. No Mr. Hyde.

"The potion you should be looking up is on page 198," he said unexpectedly, folding his arms across his chest, the strange look gone from his face at last.

Frowning, she watched him doubtfully. When he did not elaborate though, she cast her eyes down finally and started paging through the book to find the number.

"The Curse Soothing Salve? I am not cursed..." she objected.

"So what is that Mark on your left shoulder?" he asked, sarcastic.

Hermione only scowled at him, recognizing the question to be only a rhetorical one. He knew about that, of course. He had made it.

Snape sighed.

"You should have told me the Mark has not healed. Your magic is obviously rejecting it. It would continue to hurt till you either start treating it with that salve on a daily basis or you accept me as someone who means no harm to you. I would suggest the first then, as you are obviously not able to comply with the second," he said, sounding tired despite having been sleeping for some hours recently.

 _Did this mean he was NOT hurting her on purpose?!_

She only nodded at that, not daring to object. He was right, after all; the salve seemed to be the more reasonable option. No need to argue with him to make him change his mind... _Maybe he will even provide it for her, if she behaves herself in his presence..._

He sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"Miss Granger, what shall I do to make you talk to me?" he asked then, his voice resigned, his hand rubbing at his eyes.

 _What?! They were talking right now, weren't they?_

She stared at him, not daring to move, despite his exhausted and disarmed state. He could make her hurt easily even as it was, overpowering her in second, using the Mark. She needed him and she needed him in a good mood for the coming Sunday. She could not do anything to enrage him. She simply could not afford to do that this time over. She wouldn't survive it again if it would be as bad as it was...

The hand dropped from his eyes, his middle finger twitching. Still suffering from the Cruciatus after effects apparently.

"Shall I impale myself on something again then? Bleed on the floor? Make the Dark Lord torture me so I would be barely standing?" he continued his questioning, his voice cold, when it was clear she would not answer. She cringed at that. _Damn. He did not forget anything. She had really screwed things up..._

She didn't know what to say to that, though.

"I know I did something wrong on Sunday, yet you never told me what it was. I tried to apologize. I don't know what else to do unless you tell me how to make it better for you. Unless you allow me to try something. Unless you talk to me," he concluded and she felt her cheeks going hot. _Was he really asking her about sex now?!_

"Please," he added after a while, so quietly that she nearly did not hear him and it shocked her to no end.

 _Damn, he really means this._

Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to answer. Then she closed it again, uncertain and embarrassed. But he still kept looking at her, calm, patient.

So she tried again.

"I..." She cleared her throat, blushing even more fiercely. "I felt... Used. And it hurt when you touched my shoulder," she answered finally, her voice weak and eyes downcast as she hugged her knees to herself on the rickety armchair.

There was a pause then where neither of them said anything.

"I am really sorry for that, Miss Granger. I was not aware the Mark is bothering you. I will strive to never do that again," he said, sounding honest. Or as honest as Slytherins ever get.

She nodded, accepting the apology. If he really hadn't known...

"As for the first one..." he continued hesitantly and her heart skipped a beat, "I suppose you would feel better about it if you would permit me to try something to make it more... comfortable... for you. We cannot avoid the act altogether, unfortunately, but I guess it could be worth the attempt at least..." he trailed off, still sounding quite unsure about his own proposal.

 _Comfortable? Like that spell he kept using to make her wet? Perhaps there is another spell or a potion that would actually make her feel better about the thing... Even the damned Amortentia sounded better than to repeat the last experience, blast it! She was willing to take even the fake affection if she stood no chance in getting the real thing... See how different it would be then. It was worth the try anyway as he had said...  
_

So she nodded. There was nothing to lose. It could hardly go any worse...

"Alright then," he concluded and outstretched his hand in the direction of the doors, confusing her. She turned her head towards it just in time to see his wand rising from the ground where it had been left the night before to fly into his hand. _Merlin, he did not even appear to have to focus on that!_ She really has to be careful around this man...

As soon as his fingers touched the wood, he flicked it and the tray with food from the kitchen floated into the room, landing on the wobbly table in between them. Pulling the lid away, he gestured towards the dishes.

"Ladies first," he invited, obviously wanting her to select something.

She took what was the closest to her - a roll - her hand unsure as it outstretched in his direction.

"Let me help you with that," he offered, choosing a bowl of soup to move to her part of the table. _The bastard._

Taking a cup of coffee for himself, he made to pull the lid back over the plate when he was met by her gaze, intent and not very happy with the state of things.

Sighing, he took another bowl of soup for himself and looked at her, waiting till she nodded her consent. That was fair finally. _It was HIM who was malnutritioned here!_

Taking the spoon resignedly, he surveyed her over the rim of the bowl.

"So what do you think of the usage of Asphodel in the base for the Boil Balm?" he asked then, waving his hand towards the book that she had just put back on the table and his tone reminded her so much of her lessons with him a lifetime ago that she found herself answering automatically.

"It's rubbish. I suppose that is what makes it smell so rotten when it's done..." she told him truthfully before she could stop herself and made her eyes meet his, unsure.

"Indeed! It would be much better to simply raise the temperature shortly and stir it clockwise once than adding another ingredient that reacts with the Flobberworm mucus..." Snape explained as he continued to eat, not perturbed in the least obviously and she found herself nodding in agreement.

"Actually, if an ounce of Aconite Essence was added instead, it would thicken the concoction as required and make it smell good even," she thought aloud.

"Sure it would, yet it would raise the price of the brew by about two Galleons," he objected and soon Hermione found herself gesturing her hands animatedly, trying to drive her point home. Never noticing him smiling secretly behind his bowl as he watched her talking and waving her spoon around, eating two more rolls with her soup and a piece of chocolate cake on top of it all.

* * *

 _Thanks for all the wonderful reviews; you are being just too kind to me! Feel free to tell me about things you don't like though; I am not a touchy kind of person and like to learn from my mistakes. Any feedback is most welcome :-)_

 _Big hugs and kisses to all of you :-*_


	43. Chapter 43

_This chapter is dedicated to all of you whose review I could never respond to; either because they were from guests, I was too busy writing or the person has the personal messaging feature disabled (fanartlee especially should maybe reconsider that!). _

_Hope you will enjoy this one!_

* * *

CHAPTER 43

It took the rest of the week before Severus had managed to catch up with the most urgent work and assignments that he had skipped due to the day he had spent with Hermione, yet he was rather sure it was more than worth it. Even every second of the time he spent petrified by her side paid off - of course he could have break free from the curse, but it was the perfect opportunity and excuse to watch her - giving him the space to come up with a plan to address her and gain back the control of his emotions...

And now they were on speaking terms, finally! Yesterday she had even permitted him to apply the salve on her Mark as she kept missing spots when she had tried to do it herself. His fingers still tingled where they had touched her soft body, smearing the ointment over her tender skin gently, careful not to cause her any further pain even when she had kept shooting him uncertain glances over her shoulder.

Let's just hope today would be no setback in that. Let's just hope today she would not close up from him again for what he was about to do...

Tense and fidgeting secretly with a potion bottle in his pocket - she had refused to let him take the stone back after she had knocked it out of his hand a few days ago, making him a nervous wreck as a result; a vengeance of sorts, he guessed - he stepped into the fireplace and headed straight for the kitchen although he knew she would be in the library, reading as always.

It had become a routine of sorts during the past three days; he would go there and start cooking, the noise and smell luring her out of her hiding place eventually. He understood now that she did not want him in the library for some reason - she had chosen it as her sanctuary and he was not welcome to intrude and 'trespass' there.

They would talk in the kitchen however, the neutral 'territory'; sometimes lightly about inconsequential matters, sometimes exchanging opinions and bits of knowledge that she wanted to discuss. Afterwards, they would move to eating of whatever he had prepared, the topic of their debate fluently moving to accompany them as they sat opposite each other. It was making her eat regularly at last. And it was making him happy, watching her as she gestured wildly with her utensils, eyes shining while she described yet another new spell or potion that she had discovered that day in his books.

So he took out an old knife and began slicing the onion and tomatoes for the sauce that he planned to make, his movements precise and exact. It was really no different to making potions - all about being creative and patient. Similarly, the less wand waving involved in it, the better the results. His sense of smell took care of the rest, helping him to choose the best spices and herbs to season the meal.

Indeed, as soon as the vegetables started to emit their appetizing odor on the ancient battered pan, he heard timid footsteps approaching the room and he allowed himself a tiny smile. It was really working. Luckily this was no potion and, at the very least, he could be certain that this brew would not explode all over him or turn into a poison if he grants himself a bit of a daydreaming over her...

"Hello," she spoke up after a few seconds, more timid than usual. It was Sunday after all. No wonder then...

"Hello, Miss Granger," he answered her greeting, seemingly focused on preparing the pasta now but watching her all the time by the corner of his eye, trying to judge her mood and thoughts. Attempting to assess how big a risk today would turn up to become to their newly found peace...

"Have you checked the _Spellwork Most Potente_ for the answer to your last theory about the atomic transformation of fibers in potion ingredients?" he asked after a while when she didn't bring anything up herself.

She nodded, not elaborating. _Shit._

"Do you agree with me now?" He tried to nudge her. In vain; she only nodded again, not even looking at him.

"Did you find any new problem then?" Shaking of her beautiful head, the soft curls dancing around her face, no words.

 _Fuck._

Not wanting to press her, he turned his back to her and his attention towards the cooking. Maybe she would talk over the meal at least if she liked it. She never failed to compliment him on it before; she was obviously well raised, always polite even to him, the monster of the dungeons. The Death Eater who kept raping her...

Cringing at that thought, he added the last bit of spices to the sauce, stirring. Selecting two plates from the upper kitchen cabinet and two pairs of utensils, he placed them on the table. She never met his eyes. Not even when he served the steaming hot food for them.

 _Damn_.

He waited for her to begin eating. It took a minute or two for her to even notice there was a plate in front of her.

Even as she dipped the fork in it - obviously for his sake so he could start eating too - she never said a word. No 'It smells delicious' or 'This is very tasty'. She only nibbled at the pasta, not consuming even a spoonful of it as he noticed, although she surely tried to pretend.

She either did not like the meal today or she was too nervous to eat, dreading what was to come tonight. Disgusted perhaps. No miracle, really. With the way he looked and the things he had done to her, it was nearly subsidiary to add that the girl hated his guts... He had no doubts that the only reason she was even speaking to him - even on the academic level as was their habit of late - was that there was no one else around; people needed company and they needed to talk, it was in their nature. Especially people like her - attractive, clever, popular among their peers and with sound and numerous family ties. It must have been really hard for her to have only him to speak to...

So he made an effort to clear his plate quickly, not wanting to prolong this any more than necessary. Maybe they would be able to resume their easy discussions after this matter was out of the way, at least for the time being, making the both of them less nervous and jumpy... _If he will not fuck this up again, that is_ , he reminded himself, cringing.

Depositing his utensils on his empty plate, he waited for her to stop pretending to eat. It did not take longer than two seconds for her fork to clatter on the porcelain rim of the old tableware.

Then there was silence. Both of them knowing what had to be done next, yet neither willing to acknowledge it.

 _Shit, this is awkward before it even began!_

Sighing quietly, he rose from his chair and collected the plates to busy his hands, setting them aside on the kitchen counter. Then he opened the door for her.

"Shall we?" he asked, careful to not press her, not even with his tone. No one liked to be forced, she was hopefully no exception to that... This way she could choose the room and place where she would feel the safest and most comfortable in.

She nodded with her eyes still set down, her shoulders tense, and rose to exit through the door, making her way towards the bedroom; not the library as he had been expecting. She did not want him there even for this, apparently. Well, it was rather practical at least, the bed big enough for the both of them...

He found her standing, uncertain and blushing, just behind the door and he closed it behind him quietly, the clang of the knob resounding in the silent room nevertheless.

Damn, he would have to be the one to address her. This was just getting worse...

"Do you have any suggestions as for what you would like me to do?" he asked her, his voice somewhat hoarse.

She only shook her head. No words again. No eye contact. The bed in front of them like the common enemy.

"Is there anything you expressively don't want me to do?" He tried the opposite approach. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, her arms folded protectively over her torso. She probably knew the answer to that one. She never told him, though.

"Miss Granger?" he tried to prod her gently. He really needed to know that one. Now.

She took a breath and the part of her face that was not obscured by her hair turned brightly red.

"I... I don't want it to hurt," she whispered. The simple demand put a hot dagger through his heart. She sounded so uncertain, probably thinking she was asking too much for herself. Fuck, he had hurt her really bad...

Feeling for the bottle of poison in his pocket and considering to down it right now, right there to spare them both this torture, he watched her, his heart burning and twisting in his chest.

"That is very understandable. Can I count on you to tell me to stop immediately in case you feel anything even remotely painful or unpleasant?" he asked, searching her face.

 _If she utters the word, he will simply get out of here so he will not make her watch it, drink the poison and that will be it. Rescuing the Potter brat was NOT worth this. Not worth hurting her. Nothing was._

Her eyes jumped to his for a second. Wide. Unsure. Scared.

No answer.

"Miss Granger, I need you to promise me that," he said emphatically _. Not wanting to force her into anything was one thing, protecting her yet another. Even protecting her from himself. ESPECIALLY from himself._

 _She absolutely had to tell him about this._

Staring her down sternly, he waited till she succumbed to his glare and nodded, her eyes cast down again.

 _Good._

"Fine then. If you have no suggestions, I will try something on my own. Just do what I say and be sure to tell me if anything feels bad. Do we have a deal?" he asked her again and waited till she nodded to confirm that. She did.

Letting the bottle in his pocket go, he went to draw the curtains together to obstruct the street lamps from enlightening the room overly. She did not need to see him. She had never wanted to see him before, nothing had changed. He was still the same ugly bastard. He should be considerate to her at least in that, making it easier for her to imagine it was someone else here with her now.

When there was only dim light in the room, he turned back to her.

"Undress as much as you are comfortable with. Then lie on your back," he instructed her, not wanting to make her feel more vulnerable and exposed than necessary. Hoping she would allow him to touch maybe a bit more than the extend of it that was strictly required but not wanting to order her around or claiming something she was not willing to give...

Looking aside for a while to give her the space, he heard her slowly doing what he had told her, undressing and then climbing on the bed hesitantly.

No such luck with trust today, he surmised, looking up and seeing her there, only her trousers pushed down to reveal her beautiful legs and plain white knickers. She did not even pull those down. Damn. But it would have to do.

"Feel free to close your eyes and reminisce of whatever and whoever would make you relax a bit. Imagine anything that would be preferable to your current situation. Focus on the feeling, not the thoughts. No past or future, just the present. The images, not words," he guided her, making his voice quiet and gentle.

Even in the murky light, he could see that she nodded slightly although her eyes stayed open. Hopefully she would at least give this a try...

Pulling an ordinary lubricant from his pocket - hopefully the spell would not be necessary after what he was about to try now - he dipped his fingers in it and approached her.

"I am going to touch you," he warned her quietly - she needed to feel as safe as possible now - and caressed her long legs lightly, moving his dry hand over the inside of her thighs a few times and feeling her deliciously soft skin. After a few minutes he slipped his other hand under the cloth of her knickers, stroking her lightly and tracing the seam of her lips with his wet fingertips.

Immediately, he felt her tense under his touch and was rather grateful he had started with just that. Had he done what he really wanted to - like kiss her down there, fuck! - she would be probably running and screaming now, scared out of her wits. But this was about her. She was not there to please him. It was the contrary. Maybe one day she would trust him enough to permit something more but it was surely not tonight...

Giving her all the time in the world, he waited till she relaxed again, not hurrying in the slightest, just caressing gently her tender skin. They had four hours till midnight now. He was more than willing to spend them like this...

Finally, her legs parted somehow as she obviously relaxed into his touch, managing to conquer her discomfort, and after a few minutes he dared to spread her lips lightly, stroking the delicate soft flesh that was hidden inside of her. Finding the nub of her clitoris and giving it the softest of touches each time his fingers passed it in their tireless journey over her slit.

Her breathing changed then, giving him hope this was working and dragging his attention from the uncomfortable tension in his pants that was created by his bulging member, pleading with him to be released already. It would have to wait for some time yet, though. She needed more of this.

Tentatively, he reached out to her opening, dipping the very tips of his fingers into her. Finding her wet. Deliciously so.

 _Fuck!_

Using all his restraint, he only used her own wetness to spread over her clitoris, circling and massaging it gently, yet tirelessly. It was somewhat bigger now, swollen due to his ministrations.

He so longed to see it, smell her arousal from the close up. But she did not wish him to, he told himself strictly, forbidding his body to do anything further for now. This was working. It was a miracle in itself that even her body had responded to his touch. Let's just not tempt it. Let's not spoil it...

Enjoying the moments and focusing on his fingers - imagining they were his tongue and dick - he closed his eyes and stroked her for what seemed an eternity, enjoying the smell of her, the touch of her, the sound of her erratic breathing...

But then she moved away jerkily, making his hand slip out of her knickers.

Damn, he had fucked this up again somehow...

"I think I am ready now," was all she said though, her voice breathy and shaky.

 _Maybe he did not fuck this up again. Yet._

* * *

 _I am so sorry to cut it short here! It's just that Hermione wants to have her chapter too - it will come the day after tomorrow, I promise!_

 _Thank you all for reading, gyus!_

 _Leave a review for me if you find it in your heart! Please!  
_


	44. Chapter 44

_This chapter is for each and every of the 204 people who are following this story!_

* * *

CHAPTER 44

Hermione deposited the beating stone in the towel next to her shower, smiling slightly at the sight of it. It was a symbol of her victory. He had wanted it - very bad, seemingly - and yet it was her who had it. She still remembered his dumbfounded expression when she had told him that it would stay in her possession. He had not even raised his wand or voice at her. She had won that one; she was not going to be spied on. Not any more.

She took to carrying it with her since then - just in case he decided to cheat and summon it to himself with magic which would work if she had simply hid it somewhere in the house. Plus it reminded her of her own success, making her feel better over being otherwise mostly helpless.

Stepping into the shower, she washed herself thoroughly, massaging the shampoo into her hair and thinking. About Snape. As was rather usual in the last days. Weeks. Month.

Closing her eyes so the shampoo wouldn't get into them, she immediately saw him, focused and frowning as he smeared the balm on her shoulder, his touch feather like and so very gentle. So unlike the way he was with her while they were doing... _that._ So unlike his normal stance to everything and everyone that it send shivers the whole way down her back, her skin pricking. Doctor Jeckyll it was then. Hopefully he would arrive today too, his approach to touching her unchanged; it was Sunday.

 _Damn._

Rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she grabbed the soap and got to applying it on her skin - except the Mark that was still covered expertly by the balm. She had problems reaching it anyway as she never considered that when she had selected the place - the important aspects at that point were not to have it in front of her eyes all the time and to be able to hide it with no problems under her clothes. Plus it was a fairly common place for a tattoo. Yet it was not a tattoo... It was the price for getting here from the cell. Being able to read books, move around an old house and take showers... It was a sign that she belonged to him as she had promised to become his servant.

 _Today, she will have to be his again, serving him,_ she thought and her chest constricted in fear.

Exiting the shower quickly, she dried herself with a single wave of her wand and dressed in her usual white shirt and black trousers before heading to the library again, the stone safely in her pocket.

But the book in her lap could be a chopping block for all it was good to her; no words made sense. Only a dead weight in her hands.

In a while, she heard the familiar racket from the kitchen - Snape was here already. It was only 6 in the evening. He probably couldn't wait for it...

Blinking rapidly to chase away any tears that might have appeared, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves somewhat and closed the book, getting to her feet. No sense in delaying the inevitable, regardless how painful and uncomfortable it might get. She wouldn't be able to read anything today anyway. And there was no need to risk him getting angry at her for making him wait...

Despite having no appetite at all, her stomach constricted by her worries, she had to admit that it already smelt wonderful in the kitchen. She had never met anyone with such a talent for cooking - it was wasted on him though, even as he could easily make a living out of it. If he did not have his beloved potions. Or was not the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The most powerful wizard besides Voldemort, furthermore. And a Death Eater.

Anyway, it was always nice to watch him at it; his movements precise and economical, working quickly and with confidence, his attention fully on his hands and pots. His face obscured by his dark hair. It reminded her a lot of her Potion classes back at school - the way she used to stare, fascinated, at him, hoping she would reach something at least remotely nearing his skills one day...

"Hello," she said quietly to warn him of her approach. It was never good to startle the man, jumpy and dangerous as he was.

"Hello, Miss Granger," he answered her, never raising his eyes from his cooking, focused and so very formal - as always. Surely it would help him tonight too. Getting detached and doing it to her, pretending she was someone else. _Hopefully this time it will be someone he does not want to hurt,_ she prayed, and cast her eyes down, wanting this to be over already.

"Have you checked the _Spellwork Most Potente_ for the answer to your last theory about the atomic transformation of fibers in potion ingredients?" came his voice suddenly, startling her

Sure, she did. She had a whole day for it. Hermione nodded.

"Do you agree with me now?" was his next question.

Of course, he was right. He had always been. No matter what topic she had brought up, no matter how difficult, theoretical or different from his specialization, he had always known the correct answer. Even when she had begun testing him in a way, researching the most complicated issues to be found in the whole field of magic, he had always given the most comprehensive and logical answer, surpassing even the biggest and most focused tomes in the huge library that he had assembled here for her. Either he was a life-long bookworm or a very intelligent and eloquent researcher. Probably both. Surprisingly, he never even got angry or annoyed at her for questioning him, probably liking the challenge in a way, even as she was sometimes contradicting him. Such a mind must have been bored beyond reason with years of teaching kids the same mundane things over and over...

She only nodded at him today in response though. No risks today, not even for her entertainment...

"Did you find any new problem then?" he asked then and she shook her head. No, not today. The problem she had been thinking of all the time today was not new at all; the issue of sleeping with him, if you could call it that when neither of them would be sleeping, was hardly something she wanted to bring up.

Returning back to his cutting and stirring, she wondered of the thing he had wanted to try to make it 'better' for her this time. That's probably why he had stopped speaking to her now - adding the love potion to the food undetected would need him to show her his back. She just hoped he would take some himself - it would be beyond embarrassing to start drooling over him only to be met with those cold and distant eyes again...

She had never taken any of these potions - she had always wanted her - or anybody else's - emotions to be real so she had no idea of how it would feel. What would it make her do...

Yes, she was aware that there were hardly any things that she would NOT HAVE TO be doing with him anyway tonight if he asked her to, yet she still wanted to have some control over herself. She was not in love with him. She did not want to be. Even if he was the last man on Earth - which he was, in a sense, as she could hardly see anyone else, let alone sleep with someone else.

Forcing herself to swallow even as her throat got painfully constricted, she kept her eyes down and waited. With some luck, it would be quick at least. If her fortune holds, it would have to be repeated only the next Sunday... Then the next one. And then the next for the rest of the year...

Suddenly, there was silence around her and she looked around to see its cause. There was a plate in front of her and Snape got seated on the chair opposite to hers. He was waiting for her to start eating, obviously.

 _Damn, the food was laced with the potion for sure. He is bound to get angry if she doesn't eat..._

She dipped her fork hastily in the perfectly prepared - and deliciously smelling, probably due to the potion - pasta and played with it to give the impression she was eating, all the time agonizing over the effects of it. How long they will last. If she would try to _seduce_ that unfeeling corpse of a man, being awkward about it as she was bound to be. _Hell._

There was a clang from the opposite side of the table and she raised her eyes to him just in time to see him finish placing his fork and knife on his empty plate, folding them neatly at the rim. Dropping her fork, she pretended to wipe her clean mouth on the napkin that he had prepared for her.

So much for making this easier for her, damn. Now it would be only him who would be all horny about her. She had screwed this up again...

She waited for him to tell her what to do then and after a while he did, clearing the table and opening the door for her, probably already impatient about this. Not that it would show on him or in his tone - nothing ever did. She should have expected that...

Exiting the room, she headed to the bedroom - that's where he probably preferred to take her. That's where it had happened the last time...

Entering the dusty room, she waited again for him to do what he wanted to. _No need to make him angry. Just do not resist and it will not hurt,_ she kept telling herself, her eyes on the bare creaky floor.

"Do you have any suggestions as for what you would like me to do?" he said, his voice raspy.

 _Sure. Do nothing. Let me die in peace,_ she thought, but did not dare to say anything. So she only shook her head.

"Is there anything you expressively don't want me to do?" he asked then. Of course, there was. But she did not dare to tell him. No hitting, no crushing her, no more forcing himself into her, no more bruises. No sex at all, preferably...

"Miss Granger?", he prompted her and she startled and felt her face getting hot. Damn, he really wanted her to answer...

"I... I don't want it to hurt," she said quietly, not wanting to elaborate. Maybe this would be enough for him to understand...

"That is very understandable. Can I count on you to tell me to stop immediately in case you feel anything even remotely painful or unpleasant?" he asked, probably out of some sense of duty. Or it was the potion causing it. He had never minded that before. Not even when she was screaming and pleading with him to stop...

"Miss Granger, I need you to promise me that," he told her then a glared at her in that way of his that he kept using at the especially naughty students. It made her nod even as she knew she wouldn't say anything anyway for fear that it would only get worse for her. He was not to be outwardly disobeyed tonight though...

"Fine then. If you have no suggestions, I will try something on my own. Just do what I say and be sure to tell me if anything feels bad. Do we have a deal?" He wanted her to confirm that again and she did, nodding once more.

The room got darker then as he went to draw the curtains together. Probably not wanting to look at her, love potion or not. Or he simply liked darkness, having spent most of his life in his dungeons. Wanting to remind himself of the cell that she was kept in before...

"Undress as much as you are comfortable with. Then lie on your back," he ordered and she blushed. He probably did not want to touch her more than necessary, making her undress for him herself. That was probably what whores do. He was the one to order her around as he had her for one. On a level, it was fine with her though. At least she could stay somewhat covered this time, if he did not decide to finish it for her...

Pulling down her trousers hastily - the only part of her clothes she was somewhat willing to part with for this - she lay herself on the bed, praying and feeling impossibly awkward, her cheeks hot.

"Feel free to close your eyes and reminisce of whatever and whoever would make you relax a bit. Imagine anything that would be preferable to your current situation. Focus on the feeling, not the thoughts. No past or future, just the present. The images, not words," he addressed her again in that silky voice of his. It sounded quite reasonable even. Maybe it would make her heart stop wanting to break away from her chest and run away, never to return to her body.

She nodded, signalling her understanding to him. So far it kept him calm and balanced. It was a good strategy.

Something clacked next to her - like a lid being removed - and she looked his way.

"I am going to touch you," he said then, never explaining what was the cause of that sound and making her heart beat even faster. No spell today then. It was going to hurt...

Then long fingers slid along her bare legs and she felt her skin prickle at that, the touch so unfamiliar and foreign that it kept forcing her body to move away from it, regardless how gentle and light it had been. He always tended to touch her once - and lightly - before her raped her. Some kind of saying sorry in his twisted mind, probably. But she never moved. She did not want to make this even worse...

Yet he never undressed himself, it was only his hand stroking her legs, caressing them, sliding along the insides of her thighs... It never felt like that when she did that herself, mostly while showering. This was someone else on her body. Someone she did not even really know...

Then the someone slipped his hand under the fabric of her knickers and she froze.

 _He was touching her there. SNAPE was touching her there!_

She expected the pain to start then. It never came, though. His fingers - were they really slightly wet?! - sustained their gentle prodding, stroking her lightly, the same way they had been sliding along her legs. Endlessly.

It was odd, sending contradictory sensations around her body. Shame. Fear. Adverse expectations. Insecurity. Tension. Suspension.

It made her close her eyes from it all, trying to escape them. But it made her remember his words from earlier too.

 _'Focus on the feeling, not the thoughts. No past or future, just the present. The pictures, not words._ ' That was what he had told her. It was against all principles of her always controlled and disciplined mind, her very nature. But it might just help...

So she tried to forget what had happened before with this man. Neglected to remember that she had been hurt sexually. No history or the impropriety of the situation. Attempted to think only of herself, her body and a man here with her, his hand in her knickers as he traced her lightly with his agile fingers.

The shame gradually changed to curiosity. Then the tension into excitement. Fear into thrill...

She noticed her breath getting labored even as she was only lying there, doing nothing. She tried not to let it upset her, though. He was now spreading her, touching her even more intimately. Feeling and tracing her flesh and it was sending waves of unknown sensations throughout her, centering and coiling in her lower belly. Making her feel somewhat swollen, like that part of her got bigger for a reason. Strangely empty and hollow at the same time. Aching. Aching but not hurting...

Then his fingers brushed across her opening, dipping slightly inside of her and spreading a wet layer over her slit. And it felt good.

Merlin!

If only he would touch her there again, relieving some of the aching and tension that had pilled up there. She was rather certain it would soothe the feelings.

His fingers or something else... The image of that thing inside of her did not appear to be anywhere as scary or repulsing as it used to. Now it even looked rather attractive and desirable. It was just big and firm enough to suffice to fill her the way she needed right now, chasing away the constant aching and tickling...

Finally, she knew she could not hold back any longer. It was driving her crazy! It was either him doing something to make it go away or her losing her mind over the constant teasing of his...

Moving her hips at the last moment as the world seemed about to shatter around her, she tried to catch her breath and tell him to do something finally. Just not too commanding or bossy. She needed him to do that. She couldn't stay like this a minute longer...

"I think I am ready now," she said, not being able to form anything better in her hazy mind.

It was true anyway. She WAS ready. Hopefully he would not make her wait for it any longer, protracting her agony...

He did not. Without a word, he pulled down his trousers and boxers and she noticed her eyes being glued to the erect thing that appeared. Big and obviously ready too. With some luck it would help her getting out of this strange state of mind and body, grounding her finally...

Damn, she did not remember to turn on her stomach in time, absorbed in the sight as she was. _How awkward._ Yet he did not seem to mind, simply climbing over her and positioning himself in between her legs that he had gently bent and pulled aside for her. He probably knew what he was doing... He better had. She needed this to be done with. That ache in her did not get any better over time...

Stroking her knee lightly, he slowly pushed the wet fabric of her knickers away to enable himself to enter her. Then he took hold of that thing and used it to stroke her there, sliding across her slit a few times, the tip of it hot and firm against her flesh.

 _Merlin, it felt good!_

Sighing and closing her eyes, she willed him to start finally.

He did.

She had to bite her lip to not moan aloud at that, feeling him sliding into her smoothly as if the thing was made to fit into her exactly, filling her just the way she needed. Chasing away the emptiness and touching the right places finally. Making her want to purr in pleasure...

She fought hard to not embarrass herself even further by the sounds that threatened to escape her throat when she felt him moving against her, stroking the inward part of her as he had been caressing her outwardly. She wanted him deeper still. As far as he could get...

Breathing hard and gripping the sheets under her for support, she felt him sending waves of something undesribeable around her body with each thrust of his hips. It didn't bother her now that their bodies were touching. She needed them to be touching. _She wanted them to be touching MORE, damn!_

But she did not dare to raise her hand to him to pull him closer. He was a stranger to her still. He was just doing what was necessary, enduring it. This was still the only mean to survive, not an act of love, she tried to remind herself. Furthermore, she was afraid of chasing him away or making him angry. Equally. _Damn her and her traitorous body!_

His movements got quicker then and she felt herself having troubles breathing. Thinking. Seeing. Staying on the ground and not floating...

It was scary in a way. She felt like she was losing herself, losing her mind and she fought desperately for control over her own brain and body, keeping them together. Not letting them shatter apart...

When it was already simply too much to take in, the sensations overwhelming her senses, she just about drew a shaky breath to tell him to stop - him getting angry was way better than her going crazy or fainting or whatever she was about to do - when he stilled over her, groaning quietly, and she felt him filling her with his hot seed, pumping it inside of her, his whole body shaking imperceptibly.

Merlin. Even THAT felt good now! Especially the way he hardened even further in her, prodding at her walls and warming her whole lower belly up.

Nearly regretting it was over - losing her mind was maybe worth trying - she kept her eyes closed and tried to remember the feeling. To tell herself this could be good too. Damn, she was even somewhat content, when she stopped thinking for a while!

Catching herself just in time not to moan in disappointment as he withdrew from her - she felt so hollow suddenly! - she watched him as he redressed hastily, his eyes never meeting hers. For some mysterious reason, she had no strength to sit up. She just wanted to go to sleep...

But she could hardly afford that, him above her half naked body. It would not do.

So she heavily raised her body and went to fetch her trousers, her breathing still somewhat shallow.

Damn, if only she could just close her eyes and curl on her sofa... But he was still there, shooting her glances, looking unsure.

Finally, he made a step towards her and she found herself thinking he would kiss her - she wouldn't mind it as she came to realize, astonished. _She probably DID go crazy during that!_ But he only handed her a small bottle.

"A contraceptive. Undetectable and safe. No permanent effects," he told her briefly, still sounding rather hesitant and - was it really? - shy.

 _What?! He had really brewed it for her, risking the consequences?!_

He probably really did not want to have a baby with her then. Even at the cost of possibly getting arrested and punished for brewing illegal potions.

She was not too keen of becoming a mother either. Not now at least. So she took the bottle from him, uncorking it and about to drink it.

"It would also make you abort, if you are expecting," he added quietly then, hardly audible at all.

She wasn't. Her period ended two days ago. She was NOT going to mention that, though.

So she drank, handing him back the empty bottle.

He did not even manage to restore it in his pocket when she felt her stomach clench painfully and she cringed. She clutched at her belly, willing the pain to go away. It didn't; if anything, it was spreading, squeezing at her insides with a cruel grip.

Soon, it became too much to handle for her and made her bent over. Then her legs gave up and she sank to her knees, struggling to breathe.

Snape was saying something next to her. She didn't understand what it was; there was a deafening buzz in her ears. Black spots appeared in her vision, eating away at the picture she was getting from her eyes even though she kept blinking desperately.

She never felt her body colliding with the floor as she fell, not being able to fight the darkness any more.

* * *

 _The longest chapter I have ever written! I hope it did not disappoint much :-)_

 _The Queen of Cliffhangers returns! And I thank_ _MoraDreamWeaver for that honorary title - for some reason it made me feel about as good as the "Mad Genius" one did! I am probably mad indeed. Anyway, I AM sorry for this cliffhanger. In a way. If you choose to believe me...  
_

 _Let me know what you think, please!_


	45. Chapter 45

_This chapter is for Fanartlee, BarbaraLM and Liesl Snake \- all those three have guessed correctly what is going to happen, so this is for them when I could not manage to surprise them otherwise!_

CHAPTER 45

Not quite believing this was happening, Severus wrapped the girl in his arms, lifting her easily and laying her back on the bed. The bed he had just had the best sex of his life on, still smelling of her and their union. Sex with this gorgeous woman, aroused, consenting and willing, whom he still could phantomly feel around his cock as her walls kept tightening around him. Sex with the woman he loved.

The woman who now lay there with no sign of being alive, making his brain freeze over, panic seizing his mind and body.

 _Fuck, a minute ago she was perfectly fine!_

 _Shit!_

Even if she truly was pregnant, it couldn't possibly be for longer than a week - he had checked her for that only the last Sunday! - so this reaction was absolutely extreme. All the sources had claimed that just a slightly heavier menstrual bleeding would occur in that case, in most cases not even painful. Not rendering the affected woman incoherent with pain and then unconscious!

 _Salazar's crap!_

Casting the diagnostic charm in a hurry, he startled at the black color that had appeared around her stomach.

Poisoning.

 _FUCK!_

His heart hammering in worry and panic, he quickly disillusioned the pair of them, collected her limp body gently yet firmly in his arms and ran to the fireplace. A second later, he was running down the moving staircase that led from his office. Shoving into Umbridge as she climbed up a set of stairs, making her fall and tumble - hardly even noticing and not looking back at the sight. Then to the dungeons. His lab.

Out of breath, sweaty but with no time or thought for rest, he deposited her on the solid surface of the biggest work board, cancelling the spells on them and locking the door.

Pulling the empty bottle out of his pocket, he willed the few remaining drops to spill out of it as fast as possible. They moved so excruciatingly slowly!

Of course, he had tested the potion - twice - before he had given it to her, although it looked and smelled exactly right. He would not risk giving her anything short of perfect.

But somehow the tests had to be wrong. There was nothing else that could have caused her to collapse like that - he even prepared all the food for her himself! Still, he had poisoned her.

 _Fuck!_

There was dark green smoke rising up from the remainder of the potion as he let the substance of the tester drip on it.

The potion was fine, brewed correctly. Nothing had happened to it since he had bottled it.

 _Yet she was NOT fine!_

The logical conclusion would be some kind of severe allergy. But the potion did not contain anything that she had not digested before and it would show on the diagnostic charm.

 _SHIT!_

Something in her was fighting against the potion then, identifying it as poison. It was not an allergic reaction.

 _The Bonding Curse. It was done for fidelity and fertility sake after all. Infertile women were of no use to the fucking perverted freak._

"You mother fucking cunt!" Severus yelled aloud even as his hands shook and heart beat in a crazy rhythm.

 _Antidote. He needed an antidote!_

Bezoar would not work. It worked only with poisons. Only some of them, furthermore.

Making her vomit would not work - the brew had been absorbed the second it arrived into her stomach as it was required of it to be acting quickly to prevent conception.

He needed a potion that would cause the opposite effect, neutralizing the original one.

Waving his wand in a wide circle, he summoned a silver cauldron, 9 bottles of ingredients from his storage, a silver stirring rod and a knife and began chopping at the Nettle leaves as the water in the cauldron was getting warmed up at a lightning speed - all that in not more than two seconds.

Another two minutes before he had prepared all the ingredients, crushing and slicing.

The water with the leaves got to the optimal temperature, starting to smell right and he jumped aside to stir it as needed. His eyes strayed to her form, unmoving and pale on the work table.

A cold hand squeezed at his heart, making him stop breathing, his eyes wide and scared.

Grabbing for support at anything within his reach when his knees threatened to give up, he burned his hand over the rim of the cauldron, the skin sizzling and turning bloody and black immediately.

It roused him, though. Restarted his brain and made him think again. Act. Work.

Wasting not a single more second and pushing all his fears and terrors forcibly aside, he returned his full attention to the brew.

It took an eternity to finish it. Several more minutes at least.

Scooping the appropriate dose of the potion into a cup, he cooled it for her and brought it to her bluish lips, guiding her mouth to open and massaging her throat to swallow. Then another sip, followed by another.

With the cup empty and only a few drops spilled out, he hugged her to himself, burring his face in her hair and listening for breath and heartbeat. Feeling for life and never noticing the anguished cry that came out of his constricted throat.

She was warm still. Soft as always. Very light and fragile in his hands.

Breathing.

She was breathing! The movement of her chest weak and irregular but perceptible. The soft curls around her face raised slightly with each exhalation.

A relieved laughter tore from Severus' throat then and he felt like all the weight of the world had dropped from his shoulders, making him feather light. Relief washed over him and he slumped to the ground, still holding her to himself and never letting her even touch the floor or feel any part of the impact.

 _It was alright now. She would be fine again. No one could take her away from him._

Looking at her lovely face again, he noticed it was smeared with blood, the red stains on her white shirt and hands too and it startled him. Till he remembered his burned hand, that he was still using to embrace her with.

He had stained and soiled her enough as it was, not only in this way. She did not deserve that and would not like it for sure. She would not even like him touching her at all.

 _Fuck, he was being selfish again._

Raising heavily to his feet, he once more deposited her gently on the work table. She looked much better already, some color returning to her graceful features and her lips regaining that sweet shade of pink that was so typical for her.

 _Shit, even dirty and on the brim of death, she is the most beautiful creature in the world._

He had nearly made her leave this world today. Again.

He had almost killed her, twice in only a few minutes - first by giving her the potion (moreover only a moment after saying it was absolutely safe), then by not being able to control his stupid emotions and nearly not managing to finish the antidote in time. Fuck, would he never learn that that was ALL he ever did to other people?! The more he pressed and forced himself into anybody's live, the more of it he destroyed. The more pain he caused... _Couldn't he simply just stay fucking away from her?!_

Wiping at his wet face, he turned away from the woman who was simply too perfect for the likes of him - so much so that it physically hurt, making his chest ache - and went to wash himself. No need to stain her or anyone else even more...

After a few minutes, he returned back to the lab, his hand freshly wrapped in a bandage and his head kept down.

"What happened?" a weak voice asked, startling him.

* * *

 _Thank you all for reading, guys!_

 _The next chapter's POV is going to be a bit of a surprise - I hope you will not mind!_

 _All reviews are highly welcome and appreciated! :-*_


	46. Chapter 46

_This chapter is for **Smmoseley06** \- the first person ever who favorited this story - and to **Thatsallwegot** who was the last one to do the same._

* * *

CHAPTER 46

It appeared to be a normal day - or at least one that had brought nothing spectacular with it so far. Even the double lesson of The Dark Arts in the morning was rather uneventful. As uneventful as it ever got, anyway; no new injuries or provocations at least. No outright fights. The students staying mainly subdued, maybe because of the early hour and the secret meeting that had been held the night before...

Limping slightly, he dragged himself to attend dinner; he was not particularly hungry, yet it did not bode well to attract undue attention to himself with something as trivial as being absent. Everything was so controlled now that even the slightest deviation from the normal and expected was considered to be a crime; that disgusting pink toad had made sure of that. There was even an educational decree for attending meals too - number I-can't-count-so-high - saying they had to arrive but making sure to forbid them to speak to each other, creating the atmosphere of a prison in the Great Hall. Very nice.

 _Thinking of the Devil..._

He saw a glimpse of the ugly pinkish plum figure a few feet ahead of himself and slowed down as to not being forced into her proximity. If he caught a whiff of her perfume again, it would be the definite end of any eating today...

Pretending to be tying his shoelace, he stopped at the foot of one of the staircases, watching the bitch by the corner of his eye. And then, for the first time in his life, he felt like a powerful wizard indeed; his deepest and not so secret wishes coming true even without him raising a finger, as if caused be the sheer strength of his will. Damn, Dumbledore could have never felt this good about anything!

The stupid pink menace was just lifting her fat obelisk of a leg when she had lost her balance, making her stumble and crash down the stairs, bumping her side, then her shoulder and finally her stupid blunt coiffed head with a dull thud. It was the funnies thing that he had ever seen and he cackled loudly, the pure mirth of it driving tears into his eyes. Damn, now he KNEW what memory to use to conjure a Patronus!

To top it all, the next second the hag started squealing loudly in her annoying high pitched voice.

"Muuuuuurdeeeer! Muuuuuuurdeeeeeeer!"

And that did the rest of it, making him collapse to the floor, helpless against the laughing fit that was shaking his whole body now.

He barely noticed there was some sort of commotion in his vicinity, the people gathering to see what had happened. There were some more giggles. Some green dressed figures even moved nearer to help the bitch - who now reminded him much more of a turtle, helpless on her back and not being able to turn around, beating around with her arms and legs - to put her back on her feet. It took six of them to finally succeed, heavy and trashing as she was.

He had troubles breathing by that time, his brain seriously oxygen deprived.

 _Damn, this was the best day of his life. Even better than getting his Hogwarts letter probably._

"HIM! It was HIM! He tried to kill me! That murdering brat! Seize him!" she squeaked, pointing her stubby finger and bouncing like an oversized pink ball on her tiny legs. Pointing at him, directly.

 _Ouch!_

Collecting himself from the floor hastily, he tried to school his feature to look innocent and surprised. No such luck.

Not even managing to make two steps away, he was seized by three pairs of hands, holding him in place and impeding his attempt to escape and blend into the crowd.

"Call the Carrows, both of them! Stupefy!"

Everything went black around him then.

* * *

"Rennervate!"

It was Alecto's voice.

 _Damn. Not again..._

He was tied to a chair in their favorite classroom - or what used to be a classroom before being equipped with a nice collection of chains and torture instruments which quickly forced out the old and friendly chairs and desks. They were there mostly to scare and show off, as he had learnt; only rarely were the siblings uninspired or unwilling to use their own magic and fists, leaving the other objects usually idle.

Today was the case as well.

"What did you do to Professor Umbridge?" Alecto's voice again. Not really asking, of course. They knew he would not say a word.

"Crucio!"

There were times that he wished to be like his parents. Not in that particular aspect though.

Damn, he dreaded going crazy. Suffering so much pain that it would make him lose his mind. Forget who he was. Forget who his friends and family were... Passing bubble gum wrappings...

So he squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on himself and his name, even as the spasms wracked his whole body, making him scream and shake. Wishing it would end. Wishing they would do something else to him this time...

A hand landed on his face, the curse lifting. His chair toppled over and he collided painfully with the stone floor.

 _Thank Merlin!_

His mouth was torn open, his muscles too weak still to be able to fight it.

 _No taste. Damn!_

"What did you do to Professor Umbridge?" The same tone, same words. His mouth moved this time, though, even as it got no permission from him to do so.

"Nothing," he heard his own voice, dull and even.

 _Please, just please, don't ask about anything else!_

"Why did she fall then? What do you know?"

"I saw her stumble as she went up the stairs. I don't know why," he answered, still not being able to control his voice or words.

"Do you know where to find Harry Potter or what is he planning?" The usual, routine question that was asked just about anybody. Boring even.

"No," he said. Of course he didn't. He was scared that he never would...

Alecto whispered something to his sibling and he struggled to move his hands so they would not be stuck so painfully under the wooden armrest of the hard chair.

Suddenly, the ropes disappeared.

"Go, before we change our mind," he was ordered.

And he obeyed, lifting his form from the floor and shakily exiting through the door.

Good, they did not even call for Snape this time. _Thank the four Founders for that!_

Not that they were not effective in what they were doing; it was just that Snape was more so. And Snape wasn't stupid like those two, not by far. He knew what to say, what to ask. He did not even NEED to use magic to make him shiver and shake in terror; his voice and sharp tongue was more than enough to put him on the edge in seconds. It had always been so, from the very first lesson that he had had with him so many years ago, all waves of raw magic and black billowing robes.

He was a damn coward, not belonging to Hogwarts at all. A Half-Squib. And Snape knew...

He should better go and hide somewhere, keep low for a bit. Gather his strength. Not make them call Snape to finish the interrogation. It worked out today but there was never any guarantee for tomorrow...

Limping tiredly the last few yards to the Common Room, he just about said the password to the Fat Lady, when he heard something shuffle beside him.

He startled and looked around. Nothing.

"Neville? Is it you?" came a whisper. A girl's voice.

There was someone there then. Someone who wished to remain hidden. Calling him by his first name...

"Who is it?" he asked quietly, screwing up his eyes.

An invisible weight landed on his weakened body, nearly making him stumble again. The sound of sobbing. Unseen bushy hair tingling his face.

"Hermione?!"

* * *

 _So this was the surprise POV I was talking about - I hope it did not disappoint too much :-)_

 _ _Back to Hermione in the next chapter!__

 _Leave a review if you can find it in your heart and time schedule. Please, pretty please!_


	47. Chapter 47

_This one is dedicated to_ _ **mikaela. finch** \- she will know why..._

CHAPTER 47

Hermione licked her lips, exploring the unknown lingering taste on them. Sweet. Suspiciously so, especially as it reminded her of nothing she had tasted so far. A potion probably.

She opened her eyes.

High stone ceiling. Cold and dark. Cauldrons and bottles. Something hard and unrelenting beneath her. The smell of a potion lab. _Damn, she must be sleeping still!_

Blinking a few more times to clear her vision, she sat up and looked around.

Yes, she was right. A potion laboratory for sure; she was currently sitting on one of its work boards. A clean and well furnished one. If she did not know better, she would wager this one belonging to Hogwarts. But this building was way too quiet for Hogwarts... It had to be Snape's then.

 _Merlin, did he take her to his home?!_

Still, no Snape around, only a distant sound of a faucet running.

Maybe it would be worth it to look around this place; she had no wand, though, her pockets empty except for that beating stone. Not a good thing to defend herself with in case she encountered any trouble. Plus she did not really feel like her legs would be too willing to support her for long, weak as they were. So she waited, hoping she was not forgotten entirely.

Soon, the faucet was stopped and Snape came into the room, not looking at her. His hand was wrapped in white gauze.

He did not seem to be in any mood for talking, yet she had to know.

"What happened?" she asked hesitantly, making him flinch. His dark eyes bore into hers and she had to fight hard not to look away.

How did he manage to make her feel so small and childish with a mere glance? Like an annoying 8 years old in a car with her parents, asking 'Are we there yet?' over and over again?

"You were poisoned. Or rather, your body identified it so," he explained, explaining nothing. _Typical._

"I don't understand," she objected, exasperated and wriggling her wrists.

Nothing. He only started tidying up the lab, not looking at her.

Damn, the man was infuriating!

"What does it mean?" she urged him, indignant and not particularly caring about making him angry at the moment. The worst part of this Sunday HAD TO be over by now.

"It means that there will be no more contraceptive potions nor spells. They are likely blocked by the Bonding Curse," he answered, his voice cold, leaving her staring at him.

 _Damn._

"What potion did you give me then? When I was out?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

She flinched when he suddenly made a few quick paces towards her, pointing his dark wand at her belly. Casting a spell, one of the diagnostic ones. Checking her, probably.

"One to reverse it, making you fertile again," he said, lowering the wand. "Even more so, I am afraid." He added the second sentence a tad later and much quieter, making her blush.

 _Holy Merlin..._

"I will find a way around it," he promised then, not looking at her again, his attention back on a cauldron that was half full with a steaming pinkish brew.

Well, he better had; he really was not the fatherly type...

She only nodded though, still sitting awkwardly on the table.

He seemed about finished in his systematic tidying up, vanishing all traces of recent brewing that still remained around. Then he turned to her.

"We need to go. This place is not very safe for you," he claimed, making her heart beat faster.

So there was a wife? Probably away for now, shopping?

"Come here," he ordered her then.

She slid down from the desk and made a few shaky steps towards him, careful not to come too close.

As soon as she was within his reach, he tapped her head with his wand, making her feel like he cracked an egg over it. Looking down at her hands, she could no longer see them. The Disillusionment Charm.

"Follow me. Close behind. Do not stray away. Don't touch anything or anyone," he instructed her and then went to open the door with a loud bang, reminding her of his famous arrivals to classes, and stalked away, never looking back. _Well, he would not see anything anyway, admittedly._

She hastily followed but came to a stop suddenly when she exited the door in his wake.

 _Damn, this WAS Hogwarts, one of its dungeon corridors._

Only it wasn't Hogwarts. Nothing like the school she remembered, at least.

The halls were very quiet, eerily so. No laughter. No chatter. Only draft wheezing through the cracks in the walls. Dark and stinking of despair.

What had happened in here, for Merlin's sake?!

Even during the holidays, the building never felt so empty and vacant. Like somebody died in here.

Damn. Somebody did.

Dumbledore. It made all the difference. Snape was a part of it obviously... Not that he would ever say so himself.

Training her eyes back on his back, she contemplated him for a minute. She could bolt now, he was not looking. She knew the place, she could find someone who would tell her. She was invisible. She knew where to find Snape then; he had said she was keyed both to enter and exit his office. She would; she just needed to see for herself before that. To know what had happened to the place she loved so much... There would not ever by another opportunity like this one presented to her...

On an impulse, she turned the opposite way, never looking back, the same way he did a few seconds ago, adrenaline surging though her veins like fire. Making her feel alive and free finally!

Her bare feet made next to no sound on the stone floor and she was suddenly grateful that Snape did not bother to give her any shoes - her own (or the black ex-Snape's pair that she had adjusted) still probably lying by the bed where he... Where they... Had done _that._

She felt something leaking out of her as she was hastily climbing up the stairs - she knew very well what it was by now - and blushed. Fortunately, no one could see that on her now...

She never met anyone, though, the corridors all empty and quiet. Not even a whisper and it made the hair at the back of her neck rise. Even the portraits looked scared, never gossiping or arguing with each other. What had Snape done to everybody, making them so subdued?!

Arriving at the portrait pf the Fat Lady, she realized she didn't know the password. Pressing herself to the wall so that someone would not accidentally bump into her, she waited for someone, anyone, to approach and enter the Common Room. Gryffindor Tower. Her second home... The only home where she stood any chance to be remembered and recognized at all...

Finally, irregular and slow footsteps echoed through the corridor and she narrowed her eyes to see who it was.

A boy or a young man. Rather tall and limping. Dark hair. Messy and torn clothes. Scratches and bruises all over his face. A stranger.

He passed one of the rare torches, illuminating his murky features and glittering eyes. She felt something twist painfully in her chest.

"Neville? Is it you?" she whispered, aghast.

 _Damn, what did they DO to him?!_

"Who is it?" he asked timidly in that way of his, making her eyes water. It WAS him! And it was the first time she had spoken to a friend - to anyone beside Snape, in fact - in over a month.

No being able to fight her emotions any longer, she threw herself into his arms, tears streaking down her face and hugging him fiercely. He swayed slightly.

"Hermione?!" he gasped.

She could only nod, her chin buried into his neck.

"Dignity and bravery," he pronounced in a muffled voice, pulling her with himself into the room as soon as the portrait swung open. There wasn't anyone there either.

"Hermione! What are you doing here? Where is Harry and Ron?" he asked, his voice urgent and filled with both worry and hope.

She opened her mouth to tell him but her throat constricted again at that moment as her mind got invaded by various images of the boys, tortured, bloody and chained in a dark cell. She couldn't say a word, only a sob tearing out of her mouth.

Still letting her to hug him, Neville tapped her head with his wand, cancelling the charm that kept her from his eyes and then looked her over, his eyes serious and worried.

"Are they dead?" he asked then quietly and evenly although it was clear that he cared very much about the answer. Damn, where did he become so mature? Where was the nervous, stammering boy who kept losing his toad?

She shook her head at him. _Merlin, she needs to collect her wits finally! Now is not the time for self-pity and guilt, no matter how his concerned look made her feel!_

Sniffling a bit, she took a deep breath and fought her grief with all she had so that she would be able to speak at least.

"We got trapped, arrested. Voldemort has them still," she told him. It was all her fault. She should have thought of a better plan, been more cautious, used other spells to keep them safe, done something else to conceal their identity...

"You all? So you have escaped! How can I help? What can I do?" he asked, eager, vivid sparks entering his eyes and shining in the dim light. It made her feel so horrible and great at the same time... She really did not deserve the friends that she had.

"I... I'm afraid there is nothing, Neville. They are in a fortress, very well guarded and warded. It would take an army to invade it," she told him, watching as his face sank.

"But you escaped, it had to be possible! We cannot leave them there!" he argued, making her want to cry again.

"I had help... from inside. He promised he would get them out too," she told him, feeling rather lame and inept. Desperate. Well, she was all of those... Making him promise that was ALL she had ever done for the boys so far... She had never even asked how he planned to get them out. Never wanted to bring it up, just wishing the whole time that it would happen and soon...

Blinking rapidly to maintain her feeble control over her emotions and not let her tears spill again, she saw Neville was frowning now.

"From inside? A Death Eater? Who?"

 _Damn. Could she tell him? Snape would go berserk if she did..._

"There is one who... appears to be on our side. I cannot tell you who it is. He would be killed if anyone found out," she told him truthfully. Snape was a jerk but she could not endanger him like that for no good reason... He was covering her back when it was needed, she would do the same for him.

Neville's frown deepened but he did not press her any further.

"The school has changed. Where is everyone?" she asked finally what she wanted to ask, nervous about the answer.

"Currently? Study groups. Or that's what they are called. We are supervised all the time nowadays so that we would not speak and "plot". I got into a problem so I did not have to attend today... But that is now solved, fortunately. It wasn't even me," he answered grimly as if disappointed. _Curious indeed._

"And your face? Have you been in a fight?" she inquired, sorry that she did not have her wand with her so she could help him.

"That's nothing. Just a few bruises and scratches; it was the Carrows, all of it. Brother and sister; one teaches the Muggle Studies, the other the Dark Arts. Compulsory subjects for all now, by the way. Rubbish to the point of impossibility, if you ask me. They are charged to keep the order in here. Then there is Umbridge who makes up all the stupid rules that get you punished by the two of them if broken. They are no longer even denying that they are Death Eaters, imagine that! And then there is Snape. No one dares to as much as look at him now; everyone knows what he did and who he is."

Hermione did too but she could only watch Neville as he fumed; she had decided not to tell him after all. Oddly, it made her feel somewhat guilty, not defending the man who kept coming to cook dinner for her every evening for the last few days...

There was the sound of many people approaching the room although no usual chatter was accompanying them. Like a group of prisoners being herded towards them...

Neville quickly grabbed her hand, cast the Disillusionment Charm again and pushed her behind his back, hiding her bodily from anyone who might bump into her.

She did not see much from behind his surprisingly broad shoulders but it was clear that he was checking the crowd, inspecting each and every person in it to make sure there was no infiltrator among them. Not someone who could not be trusted. Many people nodded towards him in a way of greeting. No one asked any more about the fresh bruises and cuts.

Then the portrait swung shut, the students slowly taking their seats, tired and worn.

"Hey, Neville, what was it with Umbitch today? I heard you have made quite a thing to her this time!" Someone asked, as soon as it was clear that the room was safe and closed to everyone else.

"Never mind that. I have something better to show you," he answered, the smile audible in his tone.

Pushing her in front of him again and tapping his wand over her, she could not fight her own smile as she saw the bewildered looks. The happiness. The cheers that followed. All the hugs and pats on her back that made her rather uncomfortable and insecure now, unused to people's touch as she had got. She tried not to flinch though, letting them feel it was really her. They deserved as much for staying on her... their... side.

Still smiling stupidly, she answered all the questions. Told them it would turn up fine. That Harry was on his way to save them all and defeat Voldemort. That he had sent her there to tell them. Lied to them. They needed the hope more that they needed the truth.

Neville never said a word to contradict her even though she had been most honest with him. He obviously agreed with her, letting her spread the good news to lift their spirit...

Another set of footsteps made everyone go quiet suddenly. The crowd enveloped around her in second, swallowing her and hiding. Someone Disillusioned her again. Total silence.

Then someone kicked the door open even as the Fat Lady kept screaming. Two figures stepped in, closely followed by a set of uniformed students - most of them Slytherins, wearing a strange badge, surveying the group.

"At the behest of the Chief Inspector, everyone is to be brought in for the interrogation. The bedrooms will be searched. No one is to move from now on," the man announced, raising his wand threateningly.

There was a minute of stunned silence.

Then Neville made a step forward.

"There is no need to. It was me who pushed her. I did it," he said, his voice strong and unwavering.

"You? You were interrogated already!"

"Yes. I managed to thwart the potion. It was me," Neville repeated, although she could feel him shiver beside her.

"That makes it much easier then. Still, we were ordered to seize everyone so we will. Maybe we would find some accomplices. And a lot of fun, that is certain." The man smiled, his voice cruel and evil.

A second of silence.

"Dumbledore's Army!" Neville bellowed, shocking her. Immediately, he was flanked by several people, all with their wands raised.

Then the Hell began, curses flashing, bangs and cracks coming from all around them.

"Run! Run, Hermione!" Neville grabbed her arm blindly to pull her to himself so that she would hear him. "Go to Hogsmeade! Aberforth will help you. Go to the Hog's Head! Do you know the secret passage?"

She nodded. Then said "Yes," aloud, remembering he could not see her. Of course, she knew how to get to Honeydukes, Harry had showed her.

Her heart breaking, she turned and did what he had told her, leaving the turmoil of people to push at the portrait. She had no wand, she could not help anybody, only endangering them all by her mere presence...

One of the new teachers seemed to notice her, though, and she heard the portrait opening again, just a few yards behind her.

"Who is it? Don't move! Stop!"

She never did. A curse hit the floor next to her bare feet, the fragments of stone scratching her leg and making her gasp.

"Stop!"

She ran. Not towards Snape's office as she had planned though; she had to shake this person off first. She could not lead them to him, getting him into trouble too...

Looking down at her tired feet, she saw she was bleeding from the fresh cut, her every step leaving a bloody stain on the ground.

 _Damn_!

Fortunately, the entrance to the secret passageway was just behind the corner. She could make it. She could hide there and then return back...

Dodging behind the statue and saying the password - it had not changed, fortunately - she ducked and ran, crouched and as silent as she could get, her breath and heartbeat loud in her ears, leg legs wobbly and tired. Her blood hot with adrenaline.

She never noticed the cold. Never felt the tendrils of frost until it was too late.

A cold, decaying claw wrapped around her throat...

* * *

 _A cliffhanger again - I am sorry! Hope you will like the chapter anyway though :-)_

 _Any theories, comments and guesses are most welcome! I love every letter of what you write to me, guys!_


	48. Chapter 48

_'I thought there were only seven passages in and out of school?'_

 _'They sealed off all of those before the start of the year,' said Neville. 'There's no chance of getting through any of them now, not with curses over the entrances and Death Eaters and Dementors waiting at the exits.'_

p. 461, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, JKR

 _I did not make the Dementors up, guys - I just chose to believe there were Dementors OR Death Eaters OR Curses guarding each of the secret passageways as I supposed that they would not be too efficient together. And this Neville unfortunately did not manage to inform Hermione of that in time..._

 **WARNING: Character death in this chapter!**

 _This chapter is dedicated to **Fantomette34** who predicted this one.  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 48

Severus Snape was pacing around his office, his hands behind his back and at loss for what to do. Also fuming and angry at himself to the extent that made him want to scream aloud. He had been such a fool!

 _Of course she would leave him the first chance she got. Everyone did, ever. Shit!_

How could he suppose she would suffer him voluntarily, even if it meant her chances of survival to grow exponentially?! He was a fucking demented idiot. Minutes after he had poisoned her and told her she was very likely to get pregnant with him. Of course she would bolt, anyone would!

Everything because of his stupid sentiments! Fuck, he should simply make them both invisible again, swipe her into his arms once more and run back. She would not like him touching her, hating him even more for it surely, but by now she would be safely deposited in the library, reading. _Safe. HIS!_

The way he left all the doors open for her even as he felt there was no one there behind him. The pathetic hopeless moron, who kept praying that she was following even when his magic all but screamed at him that she wasn't. Clinging to that hope that she simply would. Counting on the evidently non-existent trust between them and betting even as much as her well being on it.

 _FUCK!_

Now she was somewhere in the building; he knew she hadn't crossed the wards. Yet.

He could not go and look for her though; it would be noticed that he was searching for someone. He could not send her a Patronus which would reveal her position to anyone who would wish her captured and it would be useless anyway as she obviously didn't want to be found, so any summons or pleas for her to return would only embarrass them both... The portraits would not find her when she was invisible - the spell done by him, the nitwit, furthermore!

He had no idea of what to do except for waiting for her there as he was. Hoping she simply got delayed. Feeling more like a cretin with every passing second...

 _Crap, she did not even have her WAND with her! She really had to be desperate to leave him..._

 _Shit!_ Probably the worst about this was that he knew he could probably find her somehow and bring her back if only he tried it. But he would need to resolve to violence, forcing her to follow him and then imprison her in the house. And he could not bring himself to do that. Could not endure her wrath and the inevitable hatred in her eyes. He was just too chicken to face her and experience the way her open disgust and refusal would make him feel in return. He would much rather face the Dark Lord and his own death than to bring her back to him in any forceful way, kicking and screaming... _He was such a fucking coward!_

Grabbing one of the armchairs, he sent it flying across the room, hitting the fireplace.

Fuck, he had promised to himself to stop destroying the furniture. Never mind that now, though. There were more important Vows to uphold...

There was a white flash as a Patronus appeared by the door; for the second time during the time he had been waiting there. For someone so unlikely to ever return to him... It was the turkey again, anyway. Amycus Carrow.

Damn, if HE had a Patronus like that - so ugly and stupid - he would rather pretend he could not conjure it at all. The man really was an idiot.

The thing that was supposed to be beautiful - and it usually was, just with this single exception to the rule - clucked in its unhinged way before delivering its message.

"Headmaster, we have an uprising in the Gryffindor Common Room. Your assistance is needed."

With a puff, the bird disappeared.

Fuck. There was a message about Longbottom's interrogation already that had kept him relatively undisturbed - it was a common occurrence as the boy kept provoking the pair of sadists, having a death wish obviously, and he had left them with very specific instruction as for what could be done to the boy and what not, so he was not too worried about the dunderhead's safety; his blood status was fortunately enabling him to issue such orders. So he had not felt the need to leave his office and had decided to rather wait for Hermione to return.

But this was different; it hadn't ever happened yet that any group of students would openly revolt and resist the two Death Eaters. Predictably, it had happened with Gryffindors first, 'brave' - stupid, in other words - as they were. It could turn ugly if he would not step in. He had promised to himself to keep all the students alive and so far he was successful; he really did not want it to end now...

If the girl came here while he was away, she could simply wait for him. Or go back to the house, he had told her the fireplace would take her there...

With that in mind, he exited the room and headed to the source of all his problems - the Gryffindor Tower. That's where Longbottoms, Weasleys and Potters emanated from. That's where Hermione came from...

 _Damn, this uprising had likely something to do with her,_ he realized suddenly and his steps quickened unconsciously. It would be too big of a coincidence if it hadn't...

He ran.

As soon as he reached the corridor by the Common Room, he heard he wasn't the only one running here.

"Who is it? Don't move! Stop!" Amycus's voice, rather breathy. Running feet. He was pursuing someone he obviously could not recognize. Because he did not know or could not see the person, likely. _Hermione._

 _FUCK!_

A bang of a curse hitting something, a stone splintering. It couldn't have been be cast by her; she had no wand. She was the target.

 _SHIT!_

"Stop!" came another bellow and he felt his magic rising in him, wrenching free from his control. And he let it.

 _NO ONE will hurt his witch. NO ONE. EVER!_

He did not know - nor care - what precisely happened to the man. He only barely noticed him convulsing, bleeding and screaming as he was thrown against a wall by a wave of his magic that surged to envelop him and was suffocating him at the moment. Hopefully he would suffer. Long.

Then he noticed bloody footprints on the floor. Made by bare feet. Small, obviously belonging to a girl.

He chest constricted at that; she was bleeding.

Something snapped in the distance, making an abrupt stop to the choking and screaming. Probably Amycus's spine.

Fuck, that would be difficult to explain. Yet he was far from regretting.

 _NO ONE will hurt his witch! He only got what he deserved._

Following the footprints hastily, he reached the secret passageway where they disappeared.

 _NO!_

She probably had not known about the Dementors.

 _FUCKING CRAP!_

Lunching behind the statue, he ran. She might be only a minute or two ahead of him. He could still be on time...

The chill. The voices whispering, excited rattling and wheezing of the monsters that gathered together although there was no one visible among them.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Only a vapor came from his wand. No silver doe. _SHIT! Why NOW?!_

Enough to attract the attention of the creatures, not enough to chase them away. But that was good too; as long as they let her go. There was not much from his soul left anyway for them to feast on; his true soul was outside of his body now. The only part of him that he cared about. It was just behind them, hopefully running away and saving herself at this moment.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" He tried to recast the spell, recalling his usual memory - him and Lily under their tree as kids, talking and holding hands.

Vapor, nearly translucent.

All the Dementors were at him now though. It was working!

He heard footsteps moving away gingerly. She was alive and conscious! Doing the sensible thing, furthermore!

A second later he felt her crossing the wards; they couldn't reach her there.

The relief had him nearly sagging to the ground.

"Expecto Patronum!" He tried for the third time, weakly. The mist reappeared in front of him. No shape. The tall lanky figures neared to him, making his vision blur. Dumbledore pleading with him. Hermione on the ground in the middle of a bloody pool. Her teary face as she had chased him away, saying she never wanted to see him again. Him pushing her against the cold wall.

He slumped to the ground, too feeble to hold himself up.

No memories of Lily though, he noticed idly even through his anguish.

No Lily. No doe...

Focusing on Hermione instead, he envisioned her as she clutched her wand to herself on his bed, smiling, her eyes bright and alive with happiness.

"Expecto Patronum!" he whispered finally, consciousness slowly slipping from his grasp.

The last thing he saw was the enormous graceful shape that had hurled from his wand, now loosely held by his side. A lioness, strong and beautiful, tearing fiercely at the looming shrouded monsters. Returning to him then, sitting by his side and obviously about to remain there to guard him.

Her big, almond shaped, tender eyes were set on him, the short mane around her neck somewhat curly.

The most beautiful Patronus he had ever seen...

 _She will always be with him from now on..._

 _His..._

* * *

 _Thank you for reading and reviewing! Trust me that I love you dearly for both! I am really looking forward to knowing your thoughts about this one!  
_

 _The next chapter will be told by Neville again and is supposed to arrive on Wednesday :-)_


	49. Chapter 49

_This chapter was rather difficult to write - hopefully it would be worth it!_

 _Anyway, it is dedicated to **emjrabbitwolf** for pointing out the matter of the Elder Wand allegiance just in time for me to incorporate it into the story (I hope!) in a sensible and logical way!_

 _ **WARNING:** A scene of rather graphic violence in the last part of the chapter_

* * *

CHAPTER 49

He saw the portrait swing in its hinges as an invisible form exited the Common Room.

Good! He just hoped she would make it...

 _"_ Protego!" Neville yelled at the last possible moment, the jet of red light nearly hitting him in his distracted state of mind. Fortunately, the protective dome formed a shield in front of his body just in time; as soon as it closed and solidified, the hostile spell hit it and bounced away, sizzling against a wall harmlessly.

Risking another glance away, he saw Amycus Carrow's robes disappearing through the exit too.

 _He is after Hermione! Damn!_

Making his way towards the portrait and dodging a few times to avoid the curses and objects thrown his way, he just about thought he would be able to go out, shoot a "Stupefy" at the man quickly from behind and then return to continue fighting alongside his friends when he was intercepted by a green-uniformed student. Blond and with a Squad badge. Sneering.

Draco Malfoy.

Not someone who would be around too often - luckily - as he was probably too busy raiding and being bad the way all the Death Eaters were.

Today he was at school, though. To lick Umbridge's smelly feet likely. The conceited arrogant brat.

"My, my, my... Who do we have here?" he asked in his whiny voice the obligatory question of all bullies in the world.

Neville never answered, only raised his wand. He had seen and heard that just too many times to care any more.

"Starting a fight and then running away, you stupid coward?" Draco managed to ask before being forced to dodge his silent 'Stupefy', a surprised look in his eyes. He probably wasn't expecting the dark haired boy to be able to cast voicelessly.

That was the end of talking too. He didn't know what to say anyway.

Dodging a few jets of light. A Cutting Curse that missed the ferret. Bombarda that caught him partly. A successful Disarming Charm. Invisible ropes that managed to wrap around him...

He did not even wait for the boy to fall down. Screaming and yelling could be heard from the hallway; he needed to go and help Hermione - she had no wand. He would try to stun the professor and give her Malfoy's wand to make her escape easier...

Finally reaching the portrait, he pushed at it to get out. The screaming and choking got even louder. A man's voice, curiously enough!

He made only about three steps in the direction of the sound when he saw it; Amycus Carrow, pinned to the wall by some invisible force, his face red as he clutched and scratched at his own throat, his wand uselessly lying on the floor. Blood everywhere.

 _Hermione_ did that? How?!

She was nowhere in sight though - no surprise, really, she had been Disillusioned - but there were small bloody footprints leading away from the choking man. She had probably stepped in the pool of blood that gathered around the Death Eater and then ran away while her route was free...

"Evanesco", he said, vanishing the traces so that she could not be followed. She seemed to be safe for the time being... She could obviously do well without a wand too.

Approaching the man, he raised his wand to cancel the curses to release him so he would not suffocate. He did not appear to be able to fight anymore anyway... He would release him from this, petrify him and then return back to help the others when Hermione did not need him obviously.

Aiming the wood at his neck to stop whatever was choking the man and meeting his cruel, panicked, blood-shot eyes, he heard something snap as a wave of raw magic went by. The man's body got limp, the eyes dulled and staring.

Neville was staring back, his mind empty.

 _WHAT?!_

"Mr. Longbottom! Stop that this instant!" A high pitched squeal made the window panes vibrate and him to wake up from his stupor.

His eyes wide, Neville set them on the toad, who had an oversized bandage wrapped over her head and currently dominated the opposite side of the hallway, an army of students surrounding her.

He lowered his wand, stunned. The corpse slid down the wall, forming a limp heap by his feet.

"What have you done?! Professor? Professor Carrow!" the horrible woman screeched, bouncing. It would look funny in any other circumstances, yet now it didn't. He barely even heard her.

 _The man was dead!_

He died right now, right here. No one else was there.

 _Did HE kill him?_

 _But... He WOULD know...!_

 _Or wouldn't he?!_

"You lot, go and help to settle the situation in the Tower. Avery, Goyle, check the professor! The rest of you, guard the hallway. No one is to leave!"

Something or someone pushed him aside. He did not resist.

"He is dead! Professor, he is dead!" someone screamed.

The Hell and mayhem started then.

Screams, cries, yelling voices - so many of them that he could have not heard or understood a thing even if he could focus on anything else than the scared dead eyes of the man.

It all stopped all of sudden, only slow footsteps echoing. It made him look up finally.

Snape. Striding in his direction in that predatory way of his, the magic strong and sizzling around him as always, making the hairs on his neck stand up even though the Headmaster looked pale, sweaty and a bit under the weather now for some reason. And as usual, he did not have to say a word for all the people present to fall silent.

 _Just not this man. The only person in the world who could make him feel worse even now. Please, let this be an illusion!_

"What happened here?" he asked, quiet and dangerous.

Umbridge shuffled her feet uncomfortably. Damn, it was not even her who was in trouble and still she was squirming under his gaze. He was screwed.

"Mr. Longbottom has been caught in the act of murdering the professor while he was already bound and helpless. We are in the process of arresting him and-" the woman hurried to explain but the black clad man did not let her finish.

"You suppose the boy killed someone and you let him stand there, armed and unrestricted?" he asked, mockery heavy in his voice.

The woman stuttered, mumbling something and reminding Neville of himself while faced with that man.

Snape sneered and waved his hand, making his wand tug out of his grasp and fly to him. Alongside everybody's else, he noticed. He might not like the man but there was no doubt that he was the most powerful wizard at the school by far... Not that it was not to his disadvantage right now.

"Proofs are required; every wand at this school - including mine - will be handed over and examined. Everybody who does not comply with that will be automatically considered guilty. No one is to leave or enter the building till the matter is settled," he announced, adding his wand to the pile of others.

"Everyone will be called for and summoned for an interrogation in front of the whole school staff, starting with me. Then the other teachers, followed by students. Only when all other perpetrators are fully excluded, will we interrogate Mr. Longbottom as the main suspect," he said, the silence never getting broken, not even by a whisper.

Merlin, no...

"Now, stop the nonsense in the Tower and bring all the wands to the Great Hall. Everyone stays put in their Common Room. Dolores, I will ask you to tell his sister - in a sensitive way, as it is so typical for you. I will alert Madame Pomfrey and tell her to take care of the body, identifying the cause of death. Then all the staff is to gather in the Great Hall. Now disperse, all of you," he ordered finally, making everyone move instantly.

* * *

It was the longest waiting that Neville ever had to suffer through; longer still than his Sorting, his whole being unsure under the magical hat and scared out of his wits to be announced unworthy and a Squib, longer than all the torture sessions he had had to go through so far. Longer still than his visits at the St. Mungo's where the Healers always made him sit in the hallway to get admitted to his parents' room...

The silence was oppressive in the Common Room, no one daring to speak too much; not to him, at least. He had said he hadn't done it. Maybe they did not believe him, maybe they did. It did not matter, anyway.

What mattered was that no one - no one else - had been killed. So far. Alecto's scream of rage that had carried into the room from the hallway a few hours prior had promised that that would change as soon as the culprit was proven guilty though. As soon as his interrogation concludes, in other words.

Damn. He never stood any chance as long as Snape was there...

There was an empty sheet of parchment on the table in front of him. He had wanted to write to his grandma to explain what had happened and to say goodbye. It would break her, strong and resilient as she was, and he couldn't make himself to put the words on the paper. Especially as even the guards at the entrance kept giving him suspicious glances.

There were only 3 more Gryffindors left that hadn't been summoned. He should better hurry...

* * *

The door closed behind him with a resounding 'bang' that made him jump. There was a chair prepared in front of the staff table. No one said a word, no one greeted him. No one even nodded to him. Not even Professor McGonagall who had always behaved supportive towards him before...

Snape was staring at him coldly from the highest chair in the middle, surveying him. Boring into his very soul with those bottomless black eyes of his and making him squirm and start to sweat before even a single question was asked.

"Sit down," a simple order in a the man's deep voice that made him shiver. And obey.

The chair was hard and cold, the same way Snape's eyes were.

 _Merlin..._

"Tell us what happened since the fight in the Common Room started," he was asked.

Taking a deep breath, he told them, his voice shaky and weak.

"The professors wanted to take us for an interrogation so we decided to fight. I started it all; I fired a few curses at the members of the Squad," he admitted. There was no point in lying about that; too many people had seen that.

Now the hard part. He could not give Hermione away...

"Then I decided to check out the hallway because I heard someone yelling there. Professor Carrow was pinned to the wall, screaming and choking, so I wanted to set him free. Then Professor Umbridge arrived there and he died," he said, not feeling the need to describe the events further; they had seen what happened next. There had been about twenty people depicting it already...

"Died? DIED?! Just like that, on his own!?" A hysterical cry resounded through the Hall - Alecto Carrow, her eyes dilated and crazy as she jumped from her seat to come nearer to him.

Neville nodded, wary.

"Yes, I felt a wave of magic go by and he was dead."

 _Damn, that did not sound too credible._

The mad woman was nearly at him now, shaking and about to hit him. He cringed and closed his eyes, yet the blow never came.

"Professor, I will ask you to sit down again to finish the interrogation as required. There will be enough time for this after we find him guilty," Snape's voice drawled and he looked up.

The professor was frozen over him, her hand balled into a fist and outstretched, her eyes mad and furious. She was obviously beyond angry and fuming but not daring to disobey the Death Eater of a Headmaster. Slowly, she returned to her chair although her stare never ceased in its burning through his skull.

Damn.

"Thank you. Now let's see about your wand, Mr. Longbottom," Snape said, his cherry wand appearing in his pale hand.

 _Poor thing..._

"Prior Incantato," Snape pronounced.

The _Evanesco._ The blood. Damn, he had forgotten about that one.

But Snape was not finished casting...

The invisible ropes. The Disarming Charm. The Bombarda and the Cutting Curse. _Stupefy. Protego and then another one._ An _Accio_ and a _Lumos._ And only then the transfiguration charm that he had been trying to cast about a hundred times during his last lesson.

"I told you it was him, everything fits!" Alecto Carrow bellowed even before the last light from the charm representations had faded.

"There was never any doubt about that indeed; it was me who saw him doing it!" the toad cooed in that too sweet voice of hers which always made his teeth hurt.

McGonagall and Flitwick only stared at him, worry and shock written all over their faces. Sprout looked about to cry, her lower lip trembling.

"Care to explain how did those exact spells appear to be cast by your wand?" Snape asked then, his cold eyes boring into his, swallowing the last of his composure.

"I... I... wanted to clean something. And before... before that I was... dueling. It was Draco Malfoy! You can ask him! The Summoning Charm and the Lumos were used for fetching my book and reading before I went to have dinner. The ones before that are from my classes with-"

"Do we really need to listen to this? It only serves to prolong the whole thing! It's clear he is lying! Same as he was before - he said openly he could fool the Veritaserum!" The female Carrow started to stand up again, furious. No one paid too much attention to her now, though.

"Mr. Longbottom, aside from Draco Malfoy's denial of ever fighting with you today, I see no other explanation for you to have to clean up any blood than to remove the proof from your clothes and hands. Your motive is very obvious too. You are the last possible perpetrator, moreover, as everyone else has been cleared out..." Surprisingly, it was McGonagall who addressed him this time. "I really expected better from you than to kill a helpless man just for your own personal vengeance..." she added, her voice tired but stern.

Neville tried to swallow through his parched and constricted throat with no success. Cold sweat was collecting on his forehead.

 _Merlin, he was screwed. No one in there was about to stand up for him. And he could not tell on Hermione... Damn, he really should have written something better to grandma._

"What are we waiting for now? Let's just seize him and lock him up! The cell is ready in the dungeons!" Alecto said and went to take care of it herself even as she was speaking, nearing to him with her wand outstretched. No one hindered her now.

"Stupefy!"

* * *

It was the longest day in Neville's life. Then the longest two. Then three. And then he had lost all sense of time whatsoever.

The routine was ever the same - Alecto having her way with him, torturing him, beating him up and yelling at him all kinds of horrible things. Then Umbridge would come, gloating and letting him sign some papers that he was not permitted to read through. Snape would show up occasionally too to survey him through those empty eyes and give him some foul potions to mend him up so he would last for another session with that crazy cow.

Students appeared too from time to time - to try spells on him mostly during their Dark Art practical lessons. Yet they only rarely got a good shot anyway; the Carrow bitch usually could not resist to prolong the 'exhibition' stage through the whole lesson.

No friend ever came to talk to him, not even to say goodbye. He could not even say goodbye to Luna... They were probably not allowed or daring to. _At least they will not get into trouble too_ , he tried to comfort himself.

He had no idea of what was going to happen nor when it would happen...

* * *

Finally, it happened.

Filch came to arrange a few chairs in front of the bars to his tiny cell - two got occupied by Alecto, Umbridge, the rest of them remained empty.

Then Snape appeared and suddenly Neville knew this would be over today. They never came at the same time before. There was never this air of death and conclusion about them...

In a way he was grateful - it would be the end of the constant agony he was in - but still it scared him. Especially as he saw Snape entering the cell, a cauldron in his hand and those cold black eyes staring at him with no expression at all. Eyes of a dead man, unfeeling and empty, 'living' only to fulfill Voldemort's orders. Not a hint of pity or any other emotion. The eyes of a ruthless killer...

The true panic seized him then and he started hyperventilating. Snape would be the one to end this...

"As you know Mr. Longbottom, I am here because you have graciously agreed to donate your body parts to the noble art of potion making. Professor Umbridge and Carrow were so good as to offer their sympathy, attendance and assistance. I will now proceed collect them. My apologies for any uncomfortable feelings on your part..."

Umbridge and Carrow whispered something to each other and then began snickering.

A clang of iron resounded through the cell as a heavy lid was removed from a bottle full of living scarab beetles. Snape emptied the whole content of it in the cauldron, making the insects rattle and rustle their wing-cases. He did not know why - but yet again, he did not know many things about potions. He just hoped it would be quick...

Alecto Carrow gasped and turned green for a reason.

 _Wasn't it HIM who was being executed?!_

"We shall start with the small things. The muscles and inner organs will come next. What's left from your brain will be extracted as last, if it pleases you to be aware of that...", the dark man informed him then, his voice even and calm.

 _Holy shit!_

Snape flicked his wand at him and he got glued firmly to the chair he was chained to - he could not move a finger now. _And fingers were obviously what Snape was after..._

Taking a huge pair of rusty, ancient looking pliers, he took hold of one of his fingernails and pulled. Hard.

Neville yelled in a way he never had before in his life. It was such a different kind of pain. Such a drastic and brute thing to do. Blood was pouring out of his mauled finger and he was only dimly aware of Snape depositing his nail slowly into the cauldron where the beetles hurried to devour it.

The second nail followed. Then the third which took three attempts before being pulled out whole.

He heard the sound of retching coming from the direction of the bars. He saw nothing though - his vision too blurry for that by far...

Blood was everywhere - he would never guess a finger could bleed so much. Yet it managed to spray several feet away, making Snape's face a mask of red, his robes soaked. The man did not seem to mind though.

The fourth nail. The fifth.

Snape was saying something to Umbridge, offering her one of the nails to inspect. There was a screech of a chair being pulled backwards and hurried footsteps.

No one was snickering now. He could not even scream any more, his voice broken and too rough by that time.

After his eight nail was removed, even Filch moved away from peering through the bars. They were left alone.

He started to cry, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. He was never in such a pain. Never so scared, desperate and abandoned. This was not how he wanted it to end, yet he WANTED it to end now, simply to not feel anything anymore finally.

"I am sorry, Mr. Longbottom," someone whispered then. He probably imagined that. It sounded nothing like Snape...

A bottle was pressed to his lips and he drank. He had no strength nor will to resist anymore. He was done with. He was a dead man.

 _Goodbye, Grandma. Goodbye, Luna. Goodbye mum and dad..._

His body started detaching from him - he could not feel a thing suddenly, his limbs paralyzed and immobile. His eyes closed. Snape's scary black orbs, boring into his, was the last thing he had seen with them...

* * *

 _A rather brutal one - I am sorry for that! I have found no way around that..._

 _The next chapter will be told by Hermione :-)_

 _Thank you so much for reviewing and making me happy!_


	50. Chapter 50

_This chapter is dedicated to all of you who I have upset by the last one and who have stayed with the story nevertheless!_

 _I apologize once more for that - hopefully you will understand that it was necessary for the plot to make the scene drastic. In return I promise to try to not describe any more of classical European Medieval torture methods in too much detail!_

* * *

CHAPTER 50

 _She never noticed the cold. Never felt the tendrils of frost until it was too late._

 _A cold, decaying claw wrapped around her throat..._

* * *

Panic surged through her whole being and she grasped at the bony hand that was squeezing her throat and lifting her face up, suffocating her.

 _Dementors. Many of them._

They had no problems seeing her either, obviously, as she was surrounded by the black forms in seconds, their raspy wheezes echoing loudly in the narrow tunnel and filling her ears.

She pulled and scratched at the claws, kicked her legs, bit at everything that came close to her teeth, managed to make her elbow land onto some part of the creatures to hit it. Yet nothing was working and her heart hammered in her chest, making her believe it would break her ribs. Soon she could hear nothing else than the rasping and her own heart beat. The memories started to play out in her head...

The Rape Room with the poor girls being mauled. Snape crushing her against the wall as he was raping her. The chains holding her in place whilst she could do nothing to stop the man behind her from taking her virginity. Voldemort reaching out to touch her bare breast. The expression of her parents after she had obliviated them...

Tears streaked down her face and her vision was blurring.

Suddenly, she was released and she staggered, her legs too weak to carry her properly. She blindly crawled along the dirty stone wall, desperate to flee the cold and the memories that she still could glimpse whenever she blinked to clear her eyes. Something was apparently happening behind her but she could not hear nor see what it was. She needed to leave this place as soon as possible...

Her hands and knees scratched, dirty and bloody, she felt the wards as she crossed them, tingling her skin. An eternity later, there was the door to Honeydukes' cellar. She was leaving a bloody trail behind her.

Crawling out from the trap door and closing it behind her, she invested the rest of her waning strength into sitting up against the closest wall. Then she fainted.

* * *

"Hey, you!"

Hermione flinched fearfully and scurried away blindly till she hit the wall of her cell with her back. The guards were at her again, wanting to chain and blindfold her so she could be carried away and raped. Her breath came out in rapid puffs.

Light, the first morning strays of it. There was some wooden box next to her.

 _What?!_

"Hey, you! Girl! What are you doing here?!" the voice bellowed again. And elderly man, looking at her from the hinges of an oak door, his wrinkly face furrowed, cross and indignant. The shopkeeper of Honeydukes.

She swallowed audibly. The Disillusionment Charm had worn off.

"I... I got lost. I am sorry," she managed to croak finally. She was not even lying - she really felt lost and sorry above all.

"Get out of here before I will make you feel sorry! There is no place for the likes of you here! If one single thing is missing, I am calling the Aurors!" he told her angrily, waving his wand over the boxes and shelves, evidently casting a charm to stock-take the wares.

She stood up with difficulty, her head swimming.

"You are lucky, everything seems to be in place. Surely just because I arrived in time! Now go and find yourself a different place to squat, you dirty little fiend!" the man barked, pointing his wand at her.

Damn, she did not remember him to be so foul tempered before. He was even rather kind to her although she was never allowed to purchase much from his shop - her parents were always so worried about her teeth! - still, he had been generally smiling and polite. Now he obviously did not recognize her. Or just didn't care.

She figured that was what happened to people during wars. To people who had to live in fear constantly. It would have probably happened to her soon too...

Backing away from him and out from the shop, she stumbled into the street. It was completely empty; not a single customer in sight. No old ladies sitting on the benches with their Kneazles, discussing the weather. No laughter from the Zonko's. Even the Three Broomsticks seemed to be empty and closed.

Damn. This was NOT Snape's doing, or not solely. Even he could not banish all life from a whole village.

Then she saw the posters and got startled horribly; Harry's face was all over them. Undesirable No. 1.

They were everywhere. She could hardly see a wall without at least five of them, all stuck haphazardly, often overlapping each other.

 _Harry._

His accusing eyes on her wherever she looked. Still locked up by Voldemort and tortured. All because of her.

 _Ronald too._

 _Oh, Ron..._

She felt her eyes brimmed with tears again. She was so useless. Such a bad friend to everyone, only causing troubles...

Moreover, she had no idea of what to do now.

Neville told her to go to Hog's Head to find help but she just couldn't bring herself to drag anyone else into her mess; Neville and the whole Gryffindor House seemed just enough for today... Plus she did not know what to say anyway. "Hi! I know we don't know each other but I am a Harry Potter's friend! I got him arrested and tortured, by the way. Yes, and I am targeted by the Death Eaters too. Would you have some free wand, food and accommodation for me, please?"

She snorted at her own mind image. _No. Not that._

The Burrow. The Weasleys would help her surely. But... She just could not lie to them; they would never forgive her and they did not deserve that. She could not tell them the truth either. It would devastate Molly to discover what Ron and Harry were going through at the moment... Then they would all hate her for escaping alone and mistrust her for not telling them that it was Snape who had helped her.

 _Damn, Snape will be furious,_ she concluded suddenly, her eyes widening in fear. She had run away from him, disobeying. Endangering the whole school... Endangering HIM by NOT being at the house whereas being anywhere else would put to risk everyone who would try to help her...

Her eyes set on her bare, dirty and bloody feet, she made a decision finally. She had to go back. Be brave and endure his wrath and the inevitable punishment to save everyone else. It was time to start acting mature and take responsibility...

* * *

 _Crap!_

 _She couldn't go back!_

She tried to cross to the Hogwarts grounds at several places now, yet she had always been stopped. The wards did not permit her to pass through, probably identifying her as an intruder when she was not attending the school officially, leaving her slouched against a tree, desperate and suppressing her sobs.

Wiping her nose with the back of her hand - she really despised that but she had no handkerchief and no dignity left - she tried to calm herself and come up with a plan even as her empty stomach grumbled, reminding her it had been over a day since she had eaten anything. If only she had stayed put, following Snape back as she had been supposed to. Now she would be probably discussing spells with him over a delicious hot diner that he would prepare and serve for her... Clean. With the soles of her feet not scratched, bruised and bloody from treading over all the sharp stones and twigs. With piles of books at her disposal and no responsibility at all, pretending everything was fine. Thinking her accommodation was unsuitable and shabby. Gloating over the beating stone that she had taken from him just to see he was capable of looking unhappy, the edges of it even now pressing into her thigh through the fabric of her dirty black trousers...

 _What a fool she was. Damn!_

Tears poured down her face freely now. The moon had risen high above her head before she managed to cry herself to sleep, using the soft wet moss for a pillow and the tree leaves for a blanket.

* * *

Hermione tried to focus on the road so that her eyes would stop trying to shut and make her fall asleep in the warmth of the truck on the soft seat. The driver kept shooting her suspicious glances from behind his narrowed eyes. He smelled bad and she did not like the looks he was giving her but she could hardly choose at that moment.

It took about two hours before she managed to hitchhike this truck to drive her to London. No wonder, really, as she had been quite a sight; bloody, dirty, barefoot, with torn man's clothes and unkept hair, tree leaves tangled in it.

With her efforts to enter Hogwarts thwarted and her numerous wandless Apparition attempts failing spectacularly, she decided to go for Spinner's End the Muggle way now. Snape told her she could get in through his wards; hopefully he did not change his mind about that when she had run away from him. _If she finds the way to somehow bypass the guards, she could maybe use his fireplace to Floo to his office and apologize. And hope he would forgive her - again! - and take her back_ , Hermione cringed at that and squeezed the leather seat under her.

The big car pulled to a stop at a gas station and the driver exited the vehicle without a word to her. It was fine with her, she could wait...

She had nearly dozed off again by the time he returned, pushing a greasy bag into her lap, identical to the one he was holding. Grumbling something, he extracted a chapped hamburger from it and started eating, the sauce dripping on his jeans.

"Thank you," she whispered, grateful beyond words, and fished out her own to devour it hungrily. He mumbled something in response. There was another greasy parcel in it, containing fries. She made herself chew them slowly so that she would not get sick. It was a day since she had eaten last, seconds after committing her first real Muggle crime - stealing the three rolls from a bakery stand that she had passed by.

She finished eating much sooner than he did and busied herself by folding the bag and wrappings neatly and placing them in her lap.

When he was done, she looked at him and smiled to show him how happy and appreciative she was over his good deed. She had been mistaken in him apparently by assuming he was having some fishy thoughts. He probably just felt sorry for her...

He smiled back.

Then he reached out in the direction of her lap and she handed him the empty paper wrappings, thinking he wanted to take it from her to bin it. But his big, dirty and rough hand landed on her thigh instead, moving in the direction of her crotch and she froze in place for a second, shocked.

He was nearly touching her THERE when she was finally able to wrench free from her stupor and pushed his hand away forcefully.

"No, I am sorry but I don't want to do anything like that. I can't-", she tried to explain but he grabbed her again, his grip much firmer this time.

"C'mon, girl! Don't be a tease! Don't play shy with me now. You will see you will like it!" the man mumbled, roughly kneading her crotch through her trousers, and moved himself quite skillfully to her side of the car cabin, trapping her in her seat.

"No, I really don't-" she began saying and tried to shove him aside but that only made him touch her more boldly and forcefully. He reeked of old sweat and Vaseline.

"Don't you tell me you are not doing this all the time, girl. A slut like you must be gagging for it! I know you like me so show me some gratitude now and we both will enjoy this," he said, pressing his body onto hers and reached to open his fly even as he was holding her with his other hand.

The sound of the zipper being open made Hermione act finally as it sent a wave of panic through her chest. She was NOT about to be raped again, by anyone. Not this man for sure. Damn, it would probably kill her if he managed that!

Her heart beating audibly in her ears, the voice of her father echoed through her mind.

"Kick them in between their legs if they are ever naughty to you, little girl!"

His legs were spread in front of her invitingly.

So she did exactly that, collecting all her strength and aiming her knee at that ugly hairy thing that he was trying to pull out.

He screamed so loud that it made her jump in fright, clutching at his crotch and slowly sliding down till he lay at her feet below her seat, moaning pitifully.

 _Daddy, you are the best!_ Hermione thought and wasted no time in opening the door and jumping out of the truck. She will need to wash her knee as soon as possible but now it was time to run and she did just that till she collapsed - no, hid! - by a tree behind the gas station, breathing hard and her heart beating wildly.

 _Merlin, that was close._

* * *

Fortunately, the next day there was a bus driver that had left the back door to his bus open while he was refueling, luring Hermione out of her hideout as soon as she saw it was heading for London. She would stop at Grimmauld Place on her way to Cokeworth; there was bound to be some food left. Maybe she could take a shower finally and maybe find some cleaner clothes too... And shoes. She would take just any pair now... Harry - nor Sirius if he were alive - would not blame her for taking anything without a permission, surely...

* * *

It was Sunday by the time she managed to arrive at Spinner's end, bone tired and still sick; not only from the train where she had spent the journey locked in the tiny and smelly toilet cabin but also as s keepsake from her days that she had been moaning, sweating and retching at Grimmauld Place after she had devoured four cans of some strange soup without checking the expiration date. It was 14 years gone.

How could Kreacher ever survive on that sort of food was way beyond her.

She found no wand there - not that she had been really supposing she would - but now she had a pair of shoes at least. Two sizes bigger than she needed but it was still much easier to walk through the town in search of the house that she now dreamed longingly about. A secure house full of food and books where where she was counted with, not chased away. The house she could make into a home if only she tried a bit harder...

It took several hours for her to locate it in the big town, the inhabitants mostly grumpy and unwilling to direct her to the right place, but now she felt the prickle of the wards nearing. The street lamp that she could see from the library. The withered oak tree next to it. Two young men in strange black Muggle clothes and wands carelessly stored in their pockets; the Death Eater guards.

She observed the pattern in which they circled around the house, trying to find the right moment to slip through the wards and into the building unnoticed. It was hard as the building was rather small even from outside but she thought she had finally got the hang of it when she saw the curtains in the house move. A figure with a red T-Shirt. An hour later a glimpse of jeans.

Merlin, someone was in the house. And it was surely NOT Snape.

What was going on in there?!

Unsure and worried, she hid behind the trash cans belonging to the neighboring house and tried to think of a plan.

* * *

Damn, it was dark and some bell in distance had just struct eleven. And it was Sunday. She needed to find Snape and her wand, no matter the risks...

She made two steps towards the door when there was a loud 'pop' only a few yards away from her. A black clad figure appeared, dirty and mangled, and immediately started to crawl towards the door, leaving a bloody trail behind.

The man had lanky dark hair and rather prominent nose.

It was Snape.

* * *

 _Here it goes! I suppose you know who exactly was the person in the house by now, right? You are a clever lot!_

 _The next chapter will by told by Severus and will appear in a few days._

 _I hope I did not make anyone feel too uncomfortable this time... And also hoping for a review from all of you; indulge me, please?_


	51. Chapter 51

_This one is dedicated to **Liesl Snake** , the woman who says sorry for not managing to review every single chapter of this story and also the first one who ever did so, sticking with it and me from the very beginning._

* * *

CHAPTER 51

Severus flinched as someone yelled just a few yards away from him, obviously in panic, and brought him around efficiently; no more dreamy floating and resting then. There was a dim light in the corridor; the lioness was still watching over him. He longed to stay there with her, to rest for a minute more. But it was time to act again. Clean his mess. Take care of the school as he had promised. Salvage as much of the situation as possible...

Fuck, he could not even afford to go and check on Hermione now; not that she would approach him or talk to him, anyway - she had had enough time for that already if she had desired it. She did not want to see him, that was obvious. She really deserved to be free from him finally...

Noticing that the blood on his shaking scratched hands had not even had the time to begin to coagulate, he hoped he was not out for too long and lifted himself up, still somewhat unsure on his feet. Shit, how he hated those creatures... Ever since his short stay at Azkaban, the Dementors were tied only with Werewolves on the first place in his mind chart portraying the most despised magical creatures. Yet, he would gladly jump into a herd of them again even now if it meant they would not touch the girl...

Dragging himself out of the secret passage and towards the screeching noise of the hallway, he saw his new Patronus watching him, still sitting on its hind legs. Looking into its beautiful almond shaped eyes once more, he waved his wand to cancel the charm and make it disappear. He could not bear to leave it here alone, abandoning the lioness, even if it was only a representation... It stayed with him. He would not forsake it either.

* * *

 _Fuck!_

 _FUCK!_

 _FUCKING SHIT!_

 _Did the moron really have to be there, getting caught standing by the corpse?! Did he really have to make this so fucking difficult?!_

He absolutely had to prolong the investigation as much as possible - it was crucial to give the girl enough time to find a safe place and it was also imperative to let the Felix Felicis simmer till Saturday at least or it would still be toxic enough to kill him on the spot, seconds after digesting, marring his plans.

So he was now carrying a huge load of wands to be examined, Longbottom's at the very bottom of them to come as last - it would surely clear him of all charges but it couldn't happen till the last possible moment so they would not start to search for another offender and likely give Hermione's presence away.

He was not particularly worried about himself; yes, the Dark Lord would punish him for the loss of one follower in the building of the school he was responsible for but it would be not blamed on him fully. He had had a story prepared and with someone as dumb as Umbridge it stood only little chance of failing... Furthermore, the toad would likely get the same 'reward' from the monster as he would, making this whole mess even worth it...

Unloading the pile into a box on one of the desks in the Great Hall, he rearranged the furniture to suit their purpose; one bigger table for the staff, a simple chair for the interrogated person. He had seen that constellation so many times to know it would work, making the singled-out person nervous and unsure, therefore easier to manipulate, intimidate and push where he needed him or her to be...

The room slowly began to fill with people - all members of the staff who had received his message - and he seated himself calmly into the opposing chair, marking himself as the first person to be interrogated. Finally the school staff's compulsive inability to reach a quick common decision would be good for something; this was going to take an eternity...

When the last one took his or her place - Alecto Carrow, looking even more unstable and crazy than usual and surely about to get uncontrollable at the slightest provocation - Umbridge cleared her throat in that disgusting girlish way of hers.

"Is this really necessary, Headmaster Snape?" the pink toad with a ridiculous rag over her head cooed at him, making his stomach turn. _Cunt!_

"I believe it is. All people present in this building are to be suspected now and I don't want anyone doubting my involvement," he said, his voice composed and cold.

"Very well. Should I be the one to question you then?" the Hogwarts High Inquisitor asked sweetly.

 _You are just doing it, you moronic woman_ , he thought, disgusted. _How could anyone be so annoyingly stupid and reach her age?! Merlin!_

He only nodded to that, rather afraid his tone would betray some of his annoyance and disgust if he spoke aloud. Her voice alone was making his head hurt even more than it had been before...

"Very well then. Where were you and what were you doing before joining us in the hallway where we all saw Mr. Longbottom kill Professor Carrow?"

So much for impartial questions from this toad. Fuck, he killed one less person today than he should have - he had no doubt she would make him regret that many times over. He sighed.

"I was heading to the Gryffindor Tower to help to settle the situation down after receiving the Patronus message requiring my presence. On my way there, I encountered a group of Dementor guards that got likely lulled out of the secret passageway by the turmoil of emotions from the nearby Tower; I got delayed by repelling them and sending them back where they belonged so that they would not endanger anyone. When I exited the passageway, I went straight to the hallway leading to the Common Room where I was met with the sight of the Squad and Professor Umbridge arresting Mr. Longbottom. Before that I was brewing in my lab," he summarized his story briefly. Just a shred of truth and any lie was nearly perfect...

"Oh! Dementors!" the woman screeched, making him grit his teeth in an attempt to control his temper. There were too many witnesses. It would be unfortunately so much harder to explain why SHE now suddenly dropped to the ground, dead, her spine broken cleanly...

So he patiently - or somewhat so - waited for her to stop exclaiming and squeaking and ask an actual question finally. His jaw and teeth hurt quite badly by the time she did or said something reasonable at last.

"Shall we see about the wand then? So our Headmaster could join us and be cleared of all charges?"

A few people nodded, obviously wanting to have this done too.

Minerva cast the spell, making the wand show them all his numerous attempts for the Patronus Charm. Then the Vanishing Charm, cleaning away cauldrons and potion remnants. Summoning Charm for the ingredients...

No one ever asked him about his wandless magic, exactly as he had expected. Not that he would tell the truth, of course... But anyway, no one ever anticipated him to be able to do that much without a wand - except for perhaps James Potter and Sirius Black; both of them learning about that the hard way... Both of them dead...

Poppy Pomfrey spoke up then, her voice quiet and hoarse.

"Professor Carrow was killed by severance of his spine cord, likely caused by further tightening of the magical ropes that were conjured around his throat. There was a Cutting Curse applied before that, the bleeding rather extensive. Some of his bones were crushed too; a Bombarda or a very strong Oppugno, I suspect. He was also disarmed magically. Therefore, my conclusion is that Professor Snape is innocent of _this."_ She stressed the last word out and it was very obvious what she was implying by that - Dumbledore. No one in here was about to ever forget that; him above them all. Fuck.

Still, he pretended to not notice, as always, even when all the hateful glares bore into him from all sides, and rose from the chair to sit in the middle of the staff table, presiding it.

 _Shit, this is going to be a LONG day._

* * *

After surviving - barely! - a never ending tirade of teary and snotty children who were all telling the same story, several stress induced tantrums and revealing a bit more of Umbridge's hygiene routines than he ever wanted to in his life, Snape felt more than drained. If it was not Hermione who needed every minute to find a hiding place and escape any notice, he would long ago admit to doing it himself, if only to escape this torture.

Still, he could not afford to let his attention slip even for a second; one wrong question from a wrong person could easily lead to a line of interrogation that would reveal just what - and who - exactly happened in the Common Room before the riot broke loose...

* * *

FUCKING MERLIN'S SHIT!

The bed exploded, filling the air with splinters, dust and little bits of fabric. There was no window left to shatter and the whole building was shaking and groaning.

The bedside table and armchair were lifted into the air and thrown forcibly against the door, smashing it open and tearing it out of the hinges. Cracks started to appear in the ceiling. He had not even touched his wand yet.

CRAP!

His magic continued in its destructive mission, raging and ravaging everything he set his eyes on; the kitchen it was now.

BUGGERING HELL!

 _Even if he confesses now, it won't save the stupid moron - not after he has been cleaned off and his story accepted. It would only seem like he was trying to save him or cover something else - which he was, shit! - and make him look suspicious, getting him arrested too._

Knives flew through the air, boring into the kitchen cabinets and table. The chairs all lost their legs due to being thrown around several times already. The uneaten food and unwashed dishes from Sunday that still remained on the counter got the same treatment, shattering.

 _Fuck, it was either letting all the blame fall on the idiot or make him confess that there was one more person present - Hermione - to blame the whole shitty affair on. And that was no choice at all; she WILL be protected, no matter the cost. He would never endanger her by pointing her way and letting anyone pursue and hunt her. Plus it would get him killed, immediately, if it ever got to the Dark Lords ears that his 'toy' has slipped his grasp... He couldn't get killed; not now at least..._

FUCK THAT NOSELESS BASTARD!

Water was spouting from the place where the sink used to be. He did not care in the slightest even as it was soaking his shoes and robes.

 _Now the boy will be tortured for something he didn't do to cover up for his mess. Because of a stupid coincidence and his inability to control himself. Shit, he should have killed the Death Eater by something much more exotic so this would not have happened!_

Someone was approaching the wards and he stilled immediately, a flare of hope surging through his chest.

 _Hermione. Please, let it be Hermione..._

But then he felt it wasn't. He was making some noise obviously and it got the guards curious.

He pushed at the place in the wards ruthlessly, letting his magic lash out. There was a man screaming in the distance.

 _Fuck him too._

Leaving the kitchen - or the debris on the floor that used to form the kitchen - he went to the library to continue in his mission to erase the house out of existence and maybe a tiny bit of his anger and guilt with it too.

He grabbed the rickety armchair and was just about to send it flying when he caught a glimpse of the sofa where she used to sit reading, the hair falling into her eyes, biting at her lip and frowning. The parchment she was using to mark the spells was still spread on the small table. Three of the books lay open as she had been probably perusing them before she had left to join him for dinner.

She loved the books. He could not hurt them. It would hurt her too even if she was not here to see. Even if she would never return to him...

The anger draining suddenly, only exhaustion was left in him and he pulled the armchair to himself to slump onto tiredly.

 _Fuck. He needed a plan..._

* * *

Severus sat slouched in a red velvety sofa. The Wizard's Joy again. _  
_

Damn, he really had no time for this. Not now. Not this week when he had so much to do. So many more important things to take care of than watching the strippers take off their leather costumes and giving him those false seductive looks.

 _Fuck, they were not even pretty. They were nothing like Hermione..._

Still, he had to attend - he was forgiven after the issue with Carrow as long as the culprit had been found and about to be punished, only having to go through two rounds of Crucio, same as Umbridge had, which felt nearly formal by now. No threats followed even. The stupid sadist had been probably getting on the Dark Lord's nerves too... The raid that had immediately followed the session had ended now and it was expected from them to celebrate there. All the others did, most of them already locked up in a room with a chosen woman.

He couldn't. Not even to protect his cover. He did not think he would be even physically able to perform anything...

Shit, the girl had spoiled him rotten. He could not even imagine having anything with any other woman now. Without her smell and her soft skin to touch. Without her beautiful face and body to admire. Without knowing it was her...

Sure, he could probably close his eyes and PRETEND it was her, having the last sex of his life with a woman who at least acted like she liked him back. But it all seemed to false and treacherous towards her; she could not have anyone else either, having to content herself with him as long as he was alive. And he could not betray her even as she did not give a damn about him. Not ever.

"Hey, Snape! Out of bullets today?!" A cheery laughter echoed through the big room.

He simply lifted his wand in that direction, not even looking that way. The snickering ended abruptly.

"Fucking balls, Snape! It's not my fault that you can't get it up!" Rookwood yelled again, startled and defensive.

 _Bugger the wand_ , Snape thought and closed his eyes for a second, wishing the man to experience the same pain he was in. The next second there was a thud and agonized screams as the man collapsed to the ground, a seizure taking hold of his body.

 _Now see who will not get it up today..._ Severus thought vengefully and lifted his body from the sofa, brushing away the hand of one of the girls who was suggestively reaching for his crotch to stroke him through his pants.

 _Fuck the Dark Lord and his expectations. He has too much to do. He is going home..._

* * *

Downing the golden liquid in three big gulps, he prayed this would work out somehow. That the school would make it, even without him to buffer the most vicious demands and plans of the Big Monster. That the Potter brat would finally find his balls and end this quickly. That there would be one Potter brat still left in this world to 'fulfill his destiny' after what he was about to do...

And above all, he hoped that Hermione would survive this and be happy one day. His death should considerably help in that at least...

The unfinished potion burned in his stomach. It needed about two more weeks to simmer to be safely digestible. Two weeks he did not have. Still, it should not kill him for some hours yet and it should work.

At least now he knew she was safe from the Bonding Curse, not having to worry about touching him ever again...

He breathed in deeply a few times to compose himself and school his features into not betraying any of his emotions, any of his pain. To forget about his knowledge she was not at the Weasley's as he had been supposing and hoping - a knowledge gained by a rather dangerous and time consuming endeavor when he had overcome the wards at the Burrow and had spent a day there, spying. His panic when she was not at her parents' house either; being a Headmaster and having an access to the school register had finally paid off and he could easily look up their address. To no avail, though...

Shit, she was not at the Hog's Head with Aberforth either, as he had learned yesterday.

 _Fuck._

The only thing he could do was hope she was fine, in spite of not knowing a thing about her whereabouts. And off himself as soon as possible, so HE would be no threat to her anymore. Off himself in a useful way, if possible.

He had always been counting with that, anyway. There was no room for broken and useless things in this world... Nor people.

Collecting the jar with the beetles, a cauldron and the tools he would need, he headed for the dungeons, his stomach spasming painfully, yet with a conviction that this would work out in the end...

* * *

It did. The boy was about as pale and healthy looking as Alecto and Umbridge had been when they finally couldn't hold the content of their stomachs any longer but his path was cleared and he could safely bring the now unconscious boy to the only place he would be secure at till this madness ends - Spinner's End. Or the sad bits that had been left of it.

He had troubles walking at this point, the _Felix Felicis_ eating at his insides and taking his breath away. But still it did it's job; Alecto got repulsed by the insects as expected, her phobia kicking in in full, and that toad wanted to pretend her hands were clean, righteous as always. Both of them unsurprisingly having no clue about potions or ingredients, swallowing his story about needing the boys Pure-Blood body parts for brewing with no question and enabling him thus to claim the boy dead and his body dispersed of.

Potions were always good to him, even when he was faking them...

Depositing the boy - along with the letter, the boy's wand and the potions he would need to take as soon as he wakes up - on the sofa in the library, he was about to leave for the Fortress when he felt a sudden need to wear the cloak. His Death Eater cloak that it was too warm for and that he had not even thought of in weeks...

Indulging the impulse - he knew it had to be somewhere in the house - he summoned it to himself and wrapped the cloak around his shoulders. It smelt of Hermione still, even as it had been stored in the wardrobe - now reduced to a pile of splinters in the hallway - for some time. Her pure, clear smell. He closed his eyes for a second, reveling in it.

Maybe the potion knew he needed to say goodbye at least in this way. She would stay with him till the very end like this...

There was something quite heavy in one of the pockets, clinging quietly as he pulled the cloth tighter around himself, and he reached to pull it out.

Cell keys. Universal in the whole Fortress, made by the Dark Lord himself. Anonymous...

 _That was exactly what he needed._

 _How the fuck did they appear HERE though?!_

 _The whole thing suddenly appeared much easier. Possible even._

 _Not questioning his luck any further, he smelled the cloak once more, gripped his wand and the silver key ring and went back to the fireplace to reach his office._

* * *

 _Next to no cliffhanger for once - still it's me who is saying that so feel free to tell me if I am wrong!  
_

 _The next chapter will have a different narrator - another surprise for you! Any ideas? - and will appear probably on Thursday._

 _Love you all, guys!_


	52. Chapter 52

_Dedicated to_ _ **kagomeLove2** for writing to me so much and making the last week happy for me by adding a review just about every day. Crazy as it is, it is still much appreciated!_

* * *

CHAPTER 52

Harry Potter had never wanted to be the Chosen One; never wanted to be singled out, being pointed at, having to stand on his own in front of everyone to be judged. Except for now.

Ever since landing himself into this mess, his only wish was for the others to be let out - Ron especially - so that he could suffer through this alone. It was his destiny, after all...

The chains rattled next to him; it was Ron again, trying to scratch his nose. He could not tell him not to so that he would not aggravate the injuries on his wrists even more - they all have been silencioed for the whole time they were in the cell. Seeing each other was no comfort then, just another kind of torture. He had no idea of what his best friend was thinking about him, about this, about their prospects. He was probably cursing him in his head all the time, regretting that he had ever chosen a seat in the same train compartment as he had...

He did not even know whether Mr. Ollivander was alive or not - he had not moved for the last several hours, maybe a day. One could never tell the time in here... And the goblin looked so tiny in the huge chains, all beaten up and dirty as they all were. He could not begin to imagine what was happening to Hermione. It just hurt too much...

Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to not think about his friends and all the horrible things he had cursed them with simply for staying with him - God, he should have gone alone after the Horcruxes, keeping everything to himself as Dumbledore had told him! - but it was no good at all; the images of his suffering friends only changed to memories of all what happened during his imprisonment here. All the curses, all the blood and all the people who had been ordered to try to kill him... Failing. Getting killed by whatever they had wanted to target him with.

It would never have occurred to him on his own that the Prophecy worked both ways; not only making him hypothetically able to stop Voldemort but also marking Voldemort as the only one with the power to kill him.

 _...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..._

Obviously, he was as immortal as Voldemort was - clinging to life, the curses sent his way by all the other people with various wands and tools always rebounding and backfiring. It was probably his mother's doing, the blood protection. Or something else.

Anyway, the outcome was clear - when it came to light that they could not kill him, they began hurting Ron to torture him. His best friend did not have the same protection and Harry was shooting him glances every few minutes just to make sure he was still alive, breathing...

He prayed that Voldemort would finally stop being chicken and try it himself, killing him and letting everyone else go to celebrate his victory. Or he could get killed like all the others had - then this whole building could maybe shatter and dissolve into a puff of smoke or something, letting everyone go...

* * *

God, he could not bare to take yet another wand in his hands. Not after he had been holding Hermione's, the wood both so familiar and foreign in his fingers. He stood no chance of getting out of here even with a thousand of wands anyway...

Bellatrix Lestrange's voice echoed in his ears, laughing and mocking.

"Don't cry, little Potty. That friend of yours is done with anyway. Enjoying her stay here the way you never will be. Having a nice Death Eater lover chosen for her to make her Mudblood cunt useful finally, having little cute babies with him to serve our Lord... If she is lucky, she is dead by now even..."

Lucius Malfoy's grin at that, malicious and knowing.

But it could not be true. They would not do anything like that. Not to Hermione. They were just trying to scare him.

 _And it is working,_ he thought as he saw his hands shaking.

* * *

It was always Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy who were ever talking to him. It had to be months already since all of them had gotten imprisoned because of him.

It was driving him crazy.

God, he even began feeling like he actually belonged with those monsters! Like he was one of them! Like this all was normal even!

But Ron was alive still, as were all the others in his cell. Barely keeping up but there. There to blame him. There to look at him with that horrible pain in their eyes...

* * *

It was only a little girl this time - barely even 12. Her eyes were wide open and scared as her parents screamed at her something in a foreign language - was it German? - from their place at the cold wall, chained to it and helpless.

He prayed too as he always had. She was the 102nd one to be asked to try that. Only this time he prayed she would succeed...

A flash of light.

A thud of a body, hitting the ground.

Agonized screams and cries of the two people who were restrained behind him.

She did not succeed then...

His eyes stung.

Bellatrix's cheerful laughter...

* * *

Someone gasped loudly in the hallway. It was muffled somewhat but still very rare to happen; he was not ever taken in that direction when he was being tried or tortured. And the sounds from the room where they had been always lead to never carried to the cell.

Another muffled exhalation and a thud of something hitting the ground. Draft.

 _Draft!_

Door being closed hastily, footsteps.

 _The Order, please, let it be the Order!_

A Death Eater approaching his cell, unlocking it with the keys as usual and acting calm as if nothing was wrong. A guard who came to give them food or heal them.

The bubble of hope in his chest ruptured at that and he nearly started to sob then.

He closed his eyes and could hear the man casting a diagnostic charm and placing various potion bottles on the ground. It was the healing time then; Voldemort had probably decided he was not so much fun when on the brim of death again. Hopefully this one would heal the others too...

He did not fight the potions any more, nor the spells. He had learned long ago that it was of no use - they would get their way anyway, making him accept it by magic. It was only protracting everything and hurting more when he had tried to...

This set of potions was different, though. Different order. Different tastes. Different spells...

"Potter!" the Death Eater barked at him and made him jump, startling him.

 _WHAT?!_

No one besides those three talked to him. Ever. He had even started doubting other people could speak at all...

He stared at the man, his eyes wide and his heart beating erratically.

"Potter! Can you stand?"

Why was he asking that? Why did it matter? He was always carried everywhere anyway!

"Potter, wake up finally! Do you understand me?"

He didn't. But still he nodded. Maybe he would catch up later...

Then he noticed the chains around his wrists and ankles had vanished. Ron was standing next to him, a baffled expression on his face. Nothing was making sense.

The man was now crouching next to the goblin, whispering something. He saw the little man nod twice, saying something in response. Afterwards, the man said something to Mr. Ollivander who was leaning against the wall, his watery blue eyes wide and shocked, his skin a shade paler than usual.

Then even the goblin stood up, free from chains. No one attacked the Death Eater for some reason. Not yet, anyway.

"Potter, stop gawk around and stand up finally! I need to talk to you!" It was an order; the voice of the man was deep and hoarse.

 _What the Hell was happening?!_

He head spinning, he tried to stand up. Surprisingly, he managed that on his first attempt. He even felt somewhat healthy and in no big pain...

A Muggle bag and a wand was pressed into his hands. A wand. Again!

"Now, disarm me!" the Death Eater ordered, confusing him even more.

"Potter, don't prolong this. Just do what I say!" he was prodded.

Stunned, Harry obeyed, submitting to the commanding presence of the man on instinct. It was so eerily similar to what Voldemort and the other two had been making him and the others do over the last weeks... There seemed to be no harm in this though - the disguised man would surely not die because of this. Damn, how he wanted to understand this! Hermione would know immediately for sure...

The man's wand flew into his hand and he put it into the torn pocket of his dirty jeans. The masked stranger nodded approvingly.

"As soon as you exit the cell, the alert will be raised. Never talk about this to anyone. Don't ask or question anyone. Not even the House Elves."

 _What House Elves?!_

"I don't know what's happening!" he stammered, his voice rusty and weak as it had been not used for weeks.

"You are not supposed to. You will be moved away as soon as you exit the door. Then I expect you to do what you are meant to do, as soon as possible. Do try to not get captured again."

WHAT? WAS HE SETTING THEM FREE?!

His mouth hung open.

Someone pushed him from behind, ushered him to the door.

No, he couldn't. Not without Hermione...

"I can't. I must free one of my friends first. A girl. Hermione Granger. She is somewhere here too. I _know_ she is alive..."

The Death Eater froze at that for a second.

"She was taken care of already," he answered then, his tone very different suddenly.

It all seemed so mad...

But he had no other choice than to trust the man. He was probably a disguised Order member...

He was pushed out of the door then. Several limp and black clad bodies were visible as they were haphazardly spread on the floor further along the corridor.

Dobby and Winky materialized next to him then, shocking him even more.

"Master Harry Potter, Sir!" the elf squeaked happily and gripped his and Ron's wrist even as Winky took hold of the goblin and Mr. Ollivander.

He did not even manage to say the "Thank you" he had wanted to say to the strange man before he disappeared from his vision, watching him intently through the holes in his Mask.

* * *

 _Well, so that was the surprise POV and my theory of what would happen if anyone else than Voldemort tried to kill Harry... Can't wait to hear your thoughts about this! Please? O:-)_

 _The next one will be told by Severus and appear in a few days :-)_


	53. Chapter 53

Dedicated to **FrancineHibiscus** for her being the first one to ever offer ideas and theories about the plot, giving me inspiration and so many great reviews that really made me think!

 **WARNING:** Non-graphic character death in this chapter.

* * *

CHAPTER 53

Severus had spent every free moment in the last few weeks researching and planning - the centers and objects of both now following him close by, disillusioned, squealing and bouncing excitedly. _House Elves; his best hope for saving the Savior of the World. Fuck him backwards._

He knew the Big Bastard had a tendency to underestimate them, never fully considering or understanding their strengths and powers as most megalomaniacs did. It took HIM over a month to discover they might be able to get through the wards outside the cells as long as they belonged to a branded Death Eater, his or her mark pervading into the magical signature of their servants. He did not have any House Elves so he hoped - and now felt it just might be right - that it would be enough to take along the Elves who had formerly belonged to Death Eaters, currently employed at Hogwarts and therefore at his command. Dobby and Winky they were called.

Thus, it should be enough to reach the right place and extract the two brats, the old man and the Goblin out of the cell; in the morning it seemed like a suicide mission. Not any more though... Even as member of the Inner Circle, he did not have the permission to enter the most secured cells; but the two selected guards entered it on a daily basis and never had any either; they had the keys...

If he started disentangling the wards to open the lock magically, Voldemort would be alerted immediately - he believed he could manage it, but then he would have to fight the freak and all the summoned reinforcement. Plus he would waste a lot of time, endanger the prisoners and reveal his identity. He had surely offered to help to destroy the Horcruxes and then to single out and kill the monster when it is finally vulnerable many times already, yet Dumbledore had been adamant about the attempt to be totally hopeless, insisting he left it all to Potter; the boy who did not know more than 5 proper curses and had no balls nor skill to cast even half of them...

Anyway, like that it would look like a guard simply came to heal or feed the prisoners. The Bastard would know only as they would exit the cell, somewhat mended up at least and having instruction for what to do. Then it would be up to the Elves to carry them out while he would stay to pay the price...

* * *

The first guard who noticed him not being authorized to enter this part of the Fortress got a fist to his face which knocked his wand out of his hand and him to the ground. It was unbelievable how this always worked so well with wizards; Death Eaters or not, they never seemed to expect a physical assault _His father had taught him at least this one useful thing in his whole miserable life..._

Summoning the wand with a twitch of his fingers, he killed the man with no hesitation. There were no sentiments to spare; they had chosen their side already...

Some quick dodging and collecting of wands, twelve more killing curses and the path was free. Nothing happened to the House Elves - he could feel them not a yard behind him, probably scared to death. Yet they followed. Luck was with him today...

Fuck, he would not recognize the boys if he did not know they would be here - he would not even notice the cell if Lucius had not described its location so well. Both the people and the place were a mess...

The keys fit in this lock. He knew they would. Still, a great weight was lifted from his shoulders...

Several potions and few spells later, all of the prisoners were on their feet. Except from Potter, who kept staring at him as if he were a ghost, a dumb look in his eyes. Lily's eyes... What a waste to put them on that face...

He tried to call and rouse the boy, yet the brat only stared at him as if he had three heads.

"Potter, wake up finally! Do you understand me?"

Finally, Potter nodded. He was not deaf at least...

He had not moved yet, though.

Fuck, they had no time for this. He was NOT going to cuddle the brat to get him out of the shock or whatever mental state he was in...

Deciding to give the boy a while to collect what hopefully remained from his wits, he went to Griphook instead, making him promise to hide, help and protect the three people in exchange for being set free and carried away. The negotiation was quite easy once the goblin realized that Severus' assistance came only as a business deal, not an act of good will by far...

Then he addressed the wandmaker.

"Mr. Ollivander, I need you to inform the boy of the Deathly Hallows, especially of the matter of Elder Wand's allegiance that he will have from today on. He needs to understand that they are real and the cause for most that happened to you there; he would not figure it out himself, I suspect. I guess you know by now that the Dark Lord owns the wand now. I am rather sure Potter has the cloak. It's only about finding the stone... Just make sure he understands that," he said quietly. The old man nodded slightly, his eyes wide. At least someone in here understood him...

When he turned around, Potter was still slouched uselessly on the floor.

"Potter, stop gawking around and stand up finally! I need to talk to you!" he barked at him, getting rather desperate by now.

Fuck, if the idiot had lost only about 10 IQ points during his stay in here, there was surely nothing left at all in his head now to work with...

Fortunately, the brat moved then, standing finally. He wasted no time and gave him one of the wands he had collected from the guards and a bag containing all his life savings in cash, the cell keys and the spare wands to get rid of them and various survival necessities. Afterwards, he pressed a wand into Weasley's and Ollivander's hands too.

He made Potter disarm him then - it was one of the most crucial things to do. If it worked as he thought it would, he needed to be 'defeated' by the boy, passing the Elder's Wand allegiance to him, even though it hurt his ego to suffer through it. Yet, the Wand could not belong to the Dark Lord, giving him even more power - and it would if he now did anything else than that, as the monster was surely about to kill him today. The boy needed every bit of advantage he could get anyway, hopeless as he was.

"As soon as you exit the cell, the alert will be raised. Never talk about this to anyone. Don't ask or question anyone. Not even the House Elves," he said, knowing that the longer his involvement in this remained secret, the longer Hogwarts would be spared the Dark Lord's wrath. The fewer people knew, the better.

That dumb look in the boy's eyes again. Fuck.

"I don't know what's happening!" Potter spoke up at last. At least he was not lying and still able to speak. Somewhat.

"You are not supposed to. You will be moved away as soon as you exit the door. Then I expect you to do what you are meant to do, as soon as possible. Do try to not get captured again," he instructed him briefly, hoping it was idiot-proof, even against Potters.

Judging by the boy's expression, it wasn't.

 _Fuck, what had he done to deserve this?!_

Still, the Weasley survival instincts kicked in then and the redhead directed Potter into the door, probably understanding that time was essence now.

Potter did not move though. _Cretin._

"I can't. I must free one of my friends first. A girl. Hermione Granger. She is somewhere here too. I _know_ she is alive..." the boy stammered out, making his brain freeze. Her name. The woman he parted with forever by ordering her to follow him. The woman that he would never see again, although he wished to spend the rest of his life with her...

 _The brat was concerned about her too. Maybe he was not THAT worthless after all..._

"She was taken care of already." He pushed the words through his constricted throat. Hopefully he was not lying...

It was the right thing to say in any case obviously as he saw Potter finally giving up and letting himself be wheeled by Weasley out of the cell.

One of the Elves squealed something out excitedly as soon as he was made visible again and saw the boys.

 _Surprisingly, he is happy too in a way_ , he thought as he watched the four of them disappear. Hermione would approve. He had promised her he would do it and he had... Luckily she never wanted him to promise her he would survive too...

She did not give a damn about him, surely; it was probably her who wanted him dead the most. Still, he could be at least useful to her and try to make up for what he had done in this way. Maybe she would even forgive him then, one day...

The four former prisoners disappeared from his view and he breathed out in relief.

 _It worked. They are safe now.  
_

Severus allowed himself a smile and headed to the potion lab that was set up here for him, knowing it was the right place to be when the Dark Lord would arrive to discover the prisoners gone.

He knew he wouldn't outlive this Sunday - he had not even planned to - yet it did not mean he did not want to take as many Death Eaters with him as possible. The fewer remained in this world, the fewer could be sent after Hermione. The fewer could threaten her and the school... And the thing that was most efficient in exterminating huge numbers of servants of the Dark Lord was the Dark Lord himself - preferably enraged and in a fit of desperate paranoia. And for that to happen he would have to play innocent so that the monster would turn on everybody around him in its fury...

* * *

It worked out perfectly - the fortress began to shake in only minutes after he had arrived to the lab, making a show of starting a required potion. Loud bangs and screams penetrated even the three floors that were between him and the cells now. His Mark started burning then and he knew he had to answer the summon - not to do that would only mean to point out himself as the guilty one. So he arrived at the usual place for major gatherings, the free space in front of the Fortress, as required, knowing it would be the last thing he ever did in his life.

* * *

He had been thinking of Hermione the whole time - no matter whether he was being interrogated, cursed, thrown around or beaten up at that moment. He had stopped to register that long ago. He knew he was far from alone in that; about half of all the Death Eaters were dead by now after 'enjoying' the same treatment he had, the black clad bodies pilling up in one big heap in the middle of the fortress' grounds.

Lucius Malfoy got the biggest part of the blame though and it made him feel... Something. The man was the reason for him to join the ranks, recruiting him and bringing him to the Dark Lord, the cause for the biggest mistake in his life. Yet he was a sort of a friend too.

Now Lucius was dead. At least it was a quick and clean death unlike what many others reaped; the Dark Lord simply cast the killing curse at him as soon as he detected the magical signature of one of the Elves who took the prisoners away through the wards. Barty Crouch's magical trace was a different matter altogether - it was the perfect trigger for this fit of madness, paranoia and ire that had cost so many bad lives already, making the inhuman creature slip into a tantrum of unprecedented magnitude. Everyone was a suspect now. Everyone needed to be punished...

Now it was Severus and about twenty of others. He did not care too much until he had lost the cloak and her smell with it. That one hurt in a different way. Still, she could be not torn away from his mind...

Her, reading in the library, the little frown creasing her delicate features. Her, smiling at him from his bed and after he had joked with her. Her, wielding the fork and knife to point out numbers in an imaginary Arithmancy equation to explain her opinion to him...

* * *

Everything hurt so fucking much he could not move a finger. And everything was quiet and dark too.

 _Crap!_

He had somehow survived the punishment.

 _Fucking shit!_

It was Sunday night. Judging by the stars that he was faced with, it was something around ten or eleven. There was no guarantee that he would die in time, poisoned Liquid Luck or not.

Fuck, it was probably the bloody potion that was keeping him alive now. He was still 'lucky'; only it did not know that being fortunate for him at that moment meant to die before the day was over so that Hermione would live.

He had lost his outer robes with the poisons somewhere along the way. His wand was nowhere in sight too.

He tried to wandlessly summon both - to no avail.

 _Shit!_

He tried to bite at his wrists to make himself bleed faster; he had lost most of his teeth while being tortured though, managing to inflict only pathetic shallow scratches on his dirty skin.

 _Fuck!_

The only other possible option was to try to crawl behind the Apparition wards and get to the poisons he had hidden somewhere else. Spinner's End, preferably - the distance from the boundaries of the wards to the cabinet that held the poisons was much shorter than the one between Hogwarts grounds' gates and his office.

Turning on his stomach with immense effort, he started the most excruciating and demanding journey of his life, crawling and groveling as fast as he could, yet likely not fast enough...

After an eternity, he felt he had passed through the wards. Then it took a while to collect some strength and focus on the Apparition.

Bloody Hell, Hermione needed him. She needed him gone.

Clenching his eyes shut, he imagined her at the old house, waiting for him. She needed him to do this...

The pull of the Apparition, squeezing him through a tight unseen tunnel. A loud crack.

He landed hard, the breath being pushed out of him, but there was no time to rest. He did not know how long he had.

So he started to crawl towards the door. Fuck, he really did not want to die there - in the house where he had grown up, desperate and depressed. The ghosts of his mother's and father's presence still around. Abandoned, with Hermione gone, so desperate to leave it - and him - too...

Someone took him by his dislocated shoulder and broken ribs that were only barely hidden underneath his mangled flesh, obviously trying to help him to his feet, and he startled at that, flinching.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

There was a slim figure crouching next to him in the dark, still trying to pull him up. Was it one of his former students who were guarding the house? Or a stranger who saw him injured and wanted to help? That would be very rare in this neighborhood...

"Merlin, what happened to you?" the person asked, full of worry, and he knew he was hallucinating then - it was Hermione's voice.

Oh fuck, he so wanted to close his eyes and indulge himself. Accept this fantastic creation of his imagination and die happy in her arms... But Hermione needed him gone - quickly, not happily. He had no time to waste.

So he just clenched his jaws together, took a deep breath to steady himself and continued in his pursue of the poison. The Hermione that was not Hermione followed close behind, giving him strength.

 _Fuck, he was some really lucky bastard today to be able to imagine something like that... She even SMELLED right, damn!_

He was inside of the house now, he realized, the door was open.

 _Who did that?_

 _The unreal Hermione couldn't surely. Maybe it was Longbottom who decided to exit the house this way in spite of being advised otherwise and left the door open..._

 _Be what it might, it was good for him now. He couldn't have opened it himself in any reasonable time..._

There were some voices around him, saying something. Speaking about him. The ghosts of those he had killed, most likely. The souls that were so very eager to torture him and drag him to Hell to pay for everything he had done...

He collapsed to the dirty floor and focused all his remaining magical power into summoning the poison wandlessly to him. No need to keep the ghosts and Hermione waiting...

He felt the small bottle land into his hand then, the sharp glass edges cooling his skin. He struggled to uncork it with his broken fingers when he sensed himself being lifted and floated somewhere.

 _Fuck, what was that?!_

Probably another hallucination. It did not matter.

But then someone tried to wriggle the bottle he so badly needed out of his grasp.

 _NO!_

He fought with everything he had left to regain it. Fought like a dying animal that had nothing to lose. But he was so very fucking weak and feeble...

"Stupefy!"

Darkness of unconsciousness swallowed him at the exact moment when he realized that he had failed. Failed Hermione. Yet again, the woman he loved would die because of him...

A lone tear slid from behind his closed and swollen eyelid, rolling down his dirty and bloody cheek. Nobody ever noticed it.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading, guys!_

 _Review? Please? Pretty please?_


	54. Chapter 54

_For **Stormcrow4,** the author of the 400th review of this story! And what a joy it was to read!_

 _I love you all guys! Thank you for being here with me!_

* * *

CHAPTER 54

Neville woke up with a start, gasping. He was covered with cold sweat and immediately clutched his hands protectively to his body in an attempt to keep them safe from the monster of a professor.

Damn, it was the worst dream he had ever had; Snape above him, pulling out his nails and slowly torturing him to death by chopping off various parts of his body while he was still conscious.

 _Merlin!_

Still shaking and with quickened breath, he noticed that his hands were bandaged, each finger carefully wrapped in a white gauze and smeared with some kind of balm. And the room he was in was DEFINITELY not his dormitory. Not even the cell he had dreamed of before...

 _Damn! Was that real?! Or is he dreaming now?_

He bit at his lip till he could taste blood in his mouth. Still it didn't hurt as much as it was supposed to. Was he drugged? Or hallucinating? He remembered Snape fed him with some potion...

Looking around himself once more and concluding that this dream was surely preferable to the former one, he decided to not bother with it anymore. He would see either way, wouldn't he?

He was now sitting on an old sofa in what seemed to be a library - numerous books lined every wall of the room, leaving no place for even a single picture to be placed on it. Then there was an ancient armchair and a wobbly coffer table with his wand, a few small vials and an open white envelope on it.

With his curiosity piqued, he reached his bandaged fingers towards it and struggled clumsily for a minute to pull out the parchment from inside to read it. Finally, he succeeded.

"-"

 _Mr. Longbottom,_  
 _Take the potions you can see next to you as soon as you wake up - they will fasten you recovery considerably. All of them are meant to be digested except for the green one - it's a balm to be applied on your fingers if your nails have not fully regrown back by now._  
 _On that note, I apologize once more for my recent actions towards you; I deemed them necessary for your survival even as I am well aware that you are innocent of the crime. Now you are considered dead by the Wizarding Society so try to use it to your advantage._  
 _The house you are currently residing in belongs to me (although it will have been transferred to Miss Granger by Monday); it is warded and completely safe except for the Death Eater guards who are watching it from the outside. They cannot enter the grounds so you do not have to panic, still I recommend you to exit the building using the Floo (the powder is hidden in the mantelpiece) that leads into my Hogwarts office. The ideal time for that would be on Sunday as I expect most Death Eaters to be summoned and busy then, enabling you to find your way through Hogwarts and into Hogsmeade unhindered. You are free to use and/or take whatever you would find useful in the house - or what was left from it._

 _Best regards and my deepest apologies_

 _SS_

 _P.S. Should you desire to find company of likewise troubled wizards, look for them in the smallest fisherman's cabin at the banks of the Loch Lomond lake._

"-"

Neville only stared at the words, the small handwriting making no sense to him at all even after several minutes and readings.

 _WHAT?!_

 _Was this really from Snape? Did the man torture him in that horrendous way to save him?_

That did not make sense. Not at all.

Snape was a Death Eater - everyone knew that. He killed Dumbedore and was Voldemort's best lapdog. He had terrorized the school on a daily basis since becoming the Headmaster, always joining the Carrows while they had been interrogating, inspecting and torturing the students...

 _Why for Merlin's sake would he help him? Neville Longbottom, the student he hated and scorned the most for his ineptitude and general clumsiness? And how did he know he was innocent?_

Furthermore, what was that about some company camped by a lake? Was Snape trying to bait him out? But why?!

His head swam with questions and confusion.

Wait, did he say the house would belong to Hermione on Monday? Why Hermione? Why on some specific day?

Merlin, had Snape been the one to help Hermione getting out of the fortress she had been imprisoned in? The one Death Eater who was on their side that she had not wanted to tell him the name of?

 _By good Godric..._

It had taken about an hour for him to decide to take the potions, trusting the words of the man he feared the most in the world to heal him and erase the weak yet persistent pain in his body.

Surprisingly, it worked. He even felt rather well after he had drunk them. Still, he was too chicken to take off the bandages and look at his hands; somehow it felt like it would make the whole thing real to see the proof on his body. He would rather wake up in his dormitory in the Tower...

Choosing to go and explore the house instead, he grabbed his wand and got to it.

* * *

 _Merlin, the house was a mess._

He did not know what had happened in there; it looked like there had been some battle of a herd of Hippogriffs against a hurricane or something on that scale. Not a single room was usable except the library he had woken in. It was a miracle the structure even remained standing after what it had been put through...

And he had found a wand in one of the rooms that he would swear belonged to Hermione. Another mystery added to the list...

He at least repaired the windowpanes so the light rain from outside would not pour into the rooms. He might need to stay there for a few more days, surviving somehow on the few bits of food that remained undamaged and unspoiled in the wrecked kitchen; he really needed answers from the man. And he needed to say a 'Thank you' if he gets them.

 _And if he will dare to bring this whole affair up with the man at all, not running away at the first sight of him_ , he admitted to himself, cringing.

* * *

Sunday night had him pacing in front of the windows, nervous and looking out every few minutes or so. Snape had said that if he wanted to bolt, the best time for it was today. And this today was nearly a yesterday already...

 _Merlin, if only he knew what was right!_

There was the telltale crack of an Apparition and it made him glue himself to the window in alarm, watching out for the source of it.

A dark clad man appeared, crawling to the house, a small and thin figure running to him immediately and trying to help him to stand up. Even in the dim light he could see the man was injured!

The man wrenched himself free from the other person - was it a girl in men's clothes? - and was nearly at the door now so he ran down to open it; Snape had said that Death Eaters could not cross the wards of the house so it hopefully was no Death Eater. He had to help him!

Swinging the door open, he froze as the man crawled blindly by, slouching on the ground limply.

It was Snape.

Yet he was as far from Snape as he could possibly get, the mutilated face nearly unrecognizable if not for his big nose and the black hair surrounding it.

The smell of blood and burned flesh hit his nose in full then and he jumped aside, scared and startled.

What had happened to him?!

Something flew past him, landing in the man's outstretched hand.

He thought there was nothing that would be able to shock him even more when he noticed the second person who had entered the house.

"Hermione?!" he asked, not believing his eyes. She did not look that well either, yet it was definitely her!

"Neville? What are you doing here?!" The same shock that he felt was mirrored in her face too.

"I... Snape... It's complicated," he stammered, not being able to explain properly at the moment. "What happened to you? What are YOU doing here?!"

"I... I will explain later. It's complicated too. For now please just give me a hand with him, he seems to be injured somehow and won't answer or let me help him. Did you happen to find a wand around here?" she asked him, her speech quick and her face rather worried.

He took the wand he suspected was hers from his pocket and pressed it into her hand without a word. Snape really did not seem to be in a good shape. Hell, he didn't seem to even be able to open and reach whatever he had summoned to himself in the small bottle...

"Thank you," Hermione said hastily and immediately lifted Snape up to levitate him straight to the library. She seemed to know the house well although he noticed her glimpsing at the omnipresent piles of splinters and debris with some kind of consternation.

In a few seconds, she deposited Snape gently on the sofa and immediately began to undress him from what was left from his clothes, no hesitation in her actions whatsoever as if she was doing it everyday.

 _Damn, what was happening here?_ He was rather sure he was missing something important.

"Neville? What is he doing with that bottle?" she asked, some alarm in her voice even as she did not even slow down in her systematic work on the buttons in his blood soaked and torn shirt.

"Don't know! He is probably trying to open it. It's some sort of potion I would say. He wants to drink it if you would ask me..." he offered his opinion, watching the man from a few feet away - just to be sure.

"Potion? Take it from him!" she told him, the worry penetrating to her voice too now.

"Why?" he asked. The man was a Potion Master, he surely knew what he was doing...

"He has a history of wanting to poison himself when injured. Summon it to yourself, if you don't want to touch him," she said then, her tone rather strict and commanding now. He obeyed.

"Accio bottle!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, yet nothing could make him expect what happened next.

Just as the bottle began slipping through the man's bloody, dirty and disfigured fingers, the professor launched after it, gripping at it with such a strength that it made Neville summon the potion WITH Snape attached to it, both colliding with him forcefully and knocking him down to the dirty floor. He felt the small vial in his hand, yet Snape was clutching at it too, trying to wriggle it out of his grasp with a crazy zeal that made him unbelievably strong.

"Hermione, help me!" he called her even as a blow landed on his cheek, the man crawling and tearing at him like a rabid dog in its frenzy, fighting for the bottle as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

He heard her trying to put him to sleep, casting the charm. Nothing happened. Not even on her second and third attempt.

Neville had troubles breathing as the man's hands had wrapped around his throat.

"Stun him! Stun him!" he called hoarsely, desperate and out of breath.

"Stupefy!" he heard and finally the man sank limply to the ground, his swollen eyes shut and face losing that crazy grimace it had held a minute ago.

"Fuck!" he said aloud although he never swore, wiping at his sweaty forehead. Never except for now. Damn, this was bound to haunt him in his dreams for years!

He was about to push the man's weight away from himself when Hermione stopped him in that.

"No, don't! You will hurt him even more! Let me lift him!"

 _Damn, why did she care? The man was a crazy killer!_

Merlin, he would swear it was an Inferius that only USED TO be Snape for all the mad wheezing, growling and rattling sounds that he was making a few seconds ago!

Still, he let her levitate him back to the sofa and continue in her effort to undress him fully.

He could only gape when she finally managed that, not even registering the total nudity of the man for the state of his body.

 _How came Snape was NOT an Inferius?! How could he even breathe, let alone fight with that?!_

His whole body was misshapen, distorted and disfigured so much that it gave the impression of someone trying to tear it apart bit by bit with pure brute force; his left hand was barely even attached to his body, the legs all broken and at odd ankles with his torso. There was not a place on his skin without a burn, ugly bruise or a cut on it and he was rather sure something was sticking out of the man's belly that REALLY should have stayed inside with anyone who would dream of surviving the day. Blood was still oozing out of the man's mouth and there were ribs and various other bones protruding through his bruised flesh.

He knees gave up under him and he sank to the ground again, fighting his urge to faint and vomit.

Damn, he had never seen a body so... so... utterly destroyed. Not even his tortured fingers could begin to compare to THIS!

Yet Hermione did not waver for a single second, simply cleaning the man of the filth, clay and blood and working with the same focused efficiency he had seen her apply during her studies back at school.

"Neville, go to the bathroom and say 'help'. Bring me the potions that would appear on the shelf," she ordered him.

"Quickly!" she prodded him, when she obviously thought he was too slow in getting up.

 _Damn, she probably really cared!_

He did what she had said, depositing the potions on the coffee table and watching her in shocked amazement as she fed the potions to the man skillfully, not a hint of hesitation about touching the naked and scary professor. Not missing out a beat and no disgust at smearing a big glob of a salve on the nasty burn just an inch from his naked penis, only a worried frown creasing her forehead...

There was something really wrong with this. Especially her hurrying so much with everything despite the man obviously being out of the worst after the half an hour that she had spent waving her wand over his stomach and tending to all the wounds... Why did she simply not call for Madame Pomfrey and leave?

He did not dare to ask though, for there was some strict air of duty and responsibility about her that he had no courage to disturb or question. She certainly looked like she knew what she was doing; much better than he did in any case...

Finally, she put all the empty bottles aside and conjured a blanked to cover his body, turning to him.

 _So they would talk at last, explaining this whole mess!_

"Neville, I need you to leave now. Take the Floo and go to his office. Stay there till I come and fetch you," she told him, her cheeks slightly flushed for some reason.

 _Merlin, why?!_

He stared at her, incredulous and unable to speak.

"Neville, I am sorry but I can't explain now. Just trust me and do it, please!" she all but begged now and he nodded dumbly.

Hell, he hoped this was something that even COULD have some explanation!

He found the remnants of the fireplace and collected a bit of the Floo powder that had been spilled all around it, throwing it in and entering. The next second he was in Snape's office, the man's presence so palpable and strong there that it made him crouch a little, looking around the empty room sheepishly. The portraits of the headmasters were all sleeping by now so it was eerily quiet in the room.

Selecting the armchair in the corner that seemed the most secure and hidden, he clutched his wand forcefully in his hand and stared out of the darkened window, worry and questions swarming his mind.

 _Damn, this waiting felt just too long already..._

* * *

 _I guess you know what will happen in the next chapter now, right? It will appear in a few days again :-)  
_

 _I will probably have no time to answer the reviews for this chapter as I expect myself to be rather busy and I apologize deeply for that in advance. Every single letter of it will be still much appreciated and treasured though!_

 _Thank you so much for everything!_


	55. Chapter 55

_For Violet97mc, FrancineHibiscus, kagomeLove2, Emmaficready, Jen0318, Fantomette34 and fanartlee who all reviewed the last chapter although they were aware that I would not be able to respond to their kind and curious words!_

 _A smutty chapter ahead!_

* * *

CHAPTER 55

 _Damn, what did the man do to himself this time?!_ Hermione despaired silently in her mind as she tried to discover just what it was that appeared to both be killing the man and sustaining him. It showed on her diagnostic charm as a poison but still all attempts at removing it were obviously considerably worsening his condition... Knowing Snape, it was some kind of potion...

 _Unicorn's blood_ , occurred to her then and she nearly gasped aloud; it was potent enough and would keep the man alive even with all the horrible injuries and wounds that he had suffered and miraculously lived through. Still, the curse it carried with itself would show differently on the diagnostic charm. And she fervently hoped he just wouldn't do something so horrible...

 _Some kind of an extremely powerful healing potion that got botched then_ , she surmised. Yet she could not really imagine Snape producing a potion that would be anything but perfect, let alone drink it by accident. Also he would never voluntarily take any that was not brewed by him...

 _The fool! What he had gotten himself into this time? Damn, it was pure luck for him to be living now. Anyone else would be dead immediately after suffering whatever he had gone through._

 _Luck..._

Merlin, he had said he had an unfinished _Felix Felicis_ brewing in his lab for some reason. He had told her it had been in it's simmering stage then - it was just about giving it time for it to be ready for drinking; practically finished, working and nearly impossible to botch. Still, if he had NOT given it the time, it would probably work just as she was now witnessing - keeping him alive while it's effects lasted yet toxic enough to kill as soon as its magic wore off.

 _That was it_! she thought, nearly smiling at getting an answer that just felt right.

Bollocks, she still didn't know what to do with that.

Busying her hands with healing the numerous scratches and burns that he had taken, she was thinking hard about a possible solution, not noticing Neville - now deathly pale and obviously in shock - in the slightest. The mystery of him and his presence could wait. This riddle was much more important to solve NOW...

She could not brew an antidote - she did not have the equipment, ingredients nor the time and it could prove disastrous to make Snape unlucky by accident. She could not remove what was left from it now either; it would be good for him now that he was mostly healed, yet SHE needed all the time and luck she could get to not die today, hoping it would be fortunate for Snape too if she survived...

Still, she could heal his stomach and digestive system - that would give him at least a few hours more to live - then do what they had to do and only then get it out of him. Hopefully all in time...

Checking him once more with the diagnostic spell to make sure she did not miss anything important and had repaired all the broken bones, dislocations, sources of bleeding and internal ruptures, she nodded to herself, happy with the results that she had managed to achieve. She covered him with a blanket then.

Now the more complicated part...

"Neville, I need you to leave now. Take the Floo and go to his office. Stay there till I come and fetch you," she said, turning to her friend and blushing slightly. Damn, she was sending him out to have sex with his - and her former - professor! _Gosh..._

The tall boy did not move though, probably expecting some kind of explanation.

 _Merlin, she was NOT about to admit to anything like that to him. Ever..._

"Neville, I am sorry but I can't explain now. Just trust me and do it, please!" she pleaded with him and was relieved to see the boy nod reluctantly.

Damn, she would have to make up a VERY good story before going to fetch him after this is done. _If they even manage it in time, that is..._

She did not even wait to listen to the Floo being activated and cleaned and tidied herself magically as much and quickly as she could as to not be totally repulsive to the man. Then she took off her dirty and torn clothes - she really had no time to patch it now. Furthermore, he seemed to like to watch her breasts when he got the chance, small as they were... She needed any advantage and help that she could get now.

"Rennervate," she whispered then, pointing her wand at him.

His eyes opened slowly, a drowsy haze blurring his normally sharp and acute look. He had been fed a lot of potions and surely drugged by the side effects. Still, none of them should cause impotency... And at least now he did not seem to be about to attack anyone or flinch away from her, furious and angry at her escape as he would surely be if he was thinking clearly.

He looked different; she had mended his nose properly this time after it had been obviously done many times before in a haste and not very expertly - it was now straight rather than crooked and gave his face a manly charm instead of drawing all attention to itself by its shape and size. Also his teeth were now all new, straight and white after being regrown, all the coffee and potion induced stains gone from them. Evidently, them being crooked was also caused by improper mending techniques when they had been knocked out before...

He looked rather good now. Merlin, she could even imagine easily that this was a different man altogether, especially with his look being open and searching instead of the usual dead emptiness...

Not knowing what to say, she decided to go straight for his own tactic that had worked so well to arouse her a week ago and reached her hand tentatively, stroking him and gently exploring his body with her fingers. He did nothing to stop her, simply watched her and her hand in interest as if curious about what was about to happen...

Encouraged, she let her fingers wander freely over his torso, feeling all the hard contours and angles of his body, stroking the surprisingly soft and light hair on his abdomen, exploring his small and hard nipples, so very different from her own...

Still, he did not seem to mind.

She reached under the blanket then, touching him... There. _His... penis, damn!_ _She was a woman grown! She could at least try to think of it as an actual part of his body,_ she thought, exasperated with herself.

Blushing, she carefully investigated it with her fingers; it was surprisingly smooth. And hardening fast, she realized, her cheeks hot. At least the part that belonged into her was. Down there it was very different... Wrinkled and with no tangible veins. Contracting slowly when she kept stroking it...

She noticed his breath changing then and hoped that what she was doing was actually working as it should. That he would not chase her away now...

Looking in his eyes, she pulled the blanket away completely to reveal his currently rather impressive erection. Damn, by the look of him, she would swear he actually wanted her!

His dark eyes never left her as she climbed on top of him, remembering their moment back in the cell where he had told her to do exactly that. And liked it obviously, at least in the physical way...

Same as he did now, hopefully, his eyes all but devouring her and giving her the courage to proceed with this. Unsure but with a goal clear in her mind, she positioned herself over him and clumsily took his erection into her hand to direct it into her, lowering her body onto him.

Judging by his sheer size, she expected their joining to hurt or be rather uncomfortable at least. Yet it didn't, him sliding into her with ease while still letting her know VERY clearly that he was there, filling her fully. She touched herself curiously to discover she was all wet.

Damn, she was probably enjoying her first true exploration of his body too without even realizing it.

Storing the fact into the back of her mind to ponder later, she tried to think of what to do next. She needed to move, that was sure - she felt that clearly enough, her body begging her to do something to be able to feel him inside of her better, to make him stroke her and touch all the places in her that she herself could never reach.

So she experimentally lifted her body from him slightly and then let it descend onto him again, driving him back into her. Then again at a different angle and again till she discovered just the perfect position for her legs and body and the extend of her movement that felt right.

Meeting his eyes again to try to assess whether it was good for him this way too, she was both shocked and a completely absorbed by their expression. The black orbs were burning so hot with passion, full of wonder, adoring and tender at the same time that it nearly made her stop.

She had no idea the man was even able to look this way, let alone at her and it made her cheeks warm up once again under his scorching gaze. Still, it also made her feel... desirable. For probably the first time in her life, she felt truly sexy. More attractive even than she had during the Yule Ball back in her fourth year after she had spent hours trying to tame her hair, fix her dress and nails and put a whole load of make up on her face... And it made her bold too. Bolder than she ever thought herself capable of in a situation like this...

So the next time she noticed his scorching gaze stray to her breast that was now bouncing slightly due to the rocking movement of her body, she took hold of one of his hands and placed it on herself, his long fingers over her nipple. He exhaled audibly, his face a mask of contentment and pleasure as his hand came to life over her, his other hand joining it shortly, and started to massage her gently, rolling her nipples tenderly and slowly in his fingers, his palm hugging and warming her flesh up... It was sending nearly electrical shivers along her whole being and the pleasure kept shooting through her body and multiplying with the sensations that were forming down there where she was joined with him.

Her hips started to move faster on their own accord, bringing up all the sensations and emotions that she felt a week ago too. Her breathing became audible and rather erratic and she felt herself being torn from herself again, her mind ascending up some invisible ladder leading who-knows-where, being carried there by the waves of pure feeling he was giving her that both thrilled and frightened her...

It made her moan aloud, not caring any more about him hearing her. Damn, she would not care even if she was salivating all over him at that moment! This was really affecting her ability to think considerably. Still, he was very unlikely to remember anything tomorrow. It was worth it...

The next moment, she felt one of his hands move from her breast and she groaned in disappointment at that. She changed her mind quickly though, as she felt his fingers touching her down there, spreading her and his thumb landed on her clitoris, pressing and circling it.

 _Merlin!_

Her whole body convulsed and clenched at that, something like a greedy obsession taking hold of her as she moved herself a few more times jerkily and quickly till she felt him harden further in her, twitch and warm her whole belly up as he groaned deeply and it broke something in her then. Some dam of tension that has never been broken before, flooding her whole body with waves of pure bliss and blinding her to anything but the sensations circling inside of her.

She knew she was probably moaning, likely screaming even. She could not care less.

It took minutes to even register that she landed on his chest at some point during that sweet seizure and was now lying sprawled over him limply and rather awkwardly. Still, he did not seem to mind in the slightest, one of his arms wrapped around her back protectively even as her nose was buried in his neck and hair.

Hell, he smelled great from this close and she was so tired...

Still, he would die if she would not get up fast.

So she made herself sit up, bracing her weight against his firm chest. Her eyes met his again and it made her blush and look away. It was still so adoring and tender, loving even, that she really could not do anything else than that, nervous and unsure as it made her feel now when it was all over.

Damn, she did not know who he thought she was but it was clear he cared deeply for that person. She felt like she had just abused his feelings to that woman by replacing her in his mind for tonight...

With her eyes still lowered, she removed herself from him and sat at the edge of the sofa. Then she reached for her wand on the table and tried to remove the potion from his body; it took about half an hour to do that, careful and diligent as she had to be. Still, it was not removed fully nor it ever would be - he would carry the effects of this with himself for the rest of his life... It was probably all her fault for letting it eat at him for longer than it absolutely had to be. She was so selfish.

 _Damn!_

Opening her mouth to tell him that, she looked into his eyes again, discovering they never moved from her face. The expression in them did not change at all either. If anything, it was even softer and more devoted. She closed her mouth again, not being able to speak. And erase that look from his face.

 _He will not remember anything anyway tomorrow. There is no need to tell him now,_ she reasoned with herself, trying to find and excuse for her cowardice.

So she just pulled the blanket over him to keep him warm.

"You should go to sleep now," she told him softly.

He made some sort of deep throaty sound in response to that, half grumpy, half agreeing. It was quite adorable, she had to admit and blushed anew.

A hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him then, gentle yet uncompromising, and she was so startled at that that she did not resist, realizing fully what was happening only when he already had her bare back pressed to his chest, spooning with her under the blanket. His face buried in her neck, inhaling deeply and humming contently.

 _Merlin! Snape is actually cuddling with her!_

She probably could have escaped from this - he was still weakened, without his wand and surely hallucinating - yet it seemed safer to just let him act the way he wanted so as to not alert him to her true identity and face his anger. He would fall asleep soon and then she would disentangle from him, dress herself and go to fetch Neville.

She still did not know what to say to her friend.

 _Bollocks._

She closed her eyes, thinking.

It was rather warm and comfortable here with him, she had to admit as his breath tingled her neck. After the week she had had it was no wonder that she was tired.

 _So tired..._

* * *

"Hermione? Hermione?! What-?! What are you doing to her?!"

 _Holy Merlin..._

* * *

 _Cliffhangers are back - I am so sorry! Hope you will forgive me eventually... I will try to not make you wait for long._

 _Any theories and comments are much appreciated and welcome!_

 _Hugs and kisses!_


	56. Chapter 56

_For **BarbaraLM,** the girl who never disappoints in making me feel great about myself with her never ending support and praise!_

* * *

CHAPTER 56

Severus felt... Strange. He did not really hurt - which was strange in itself - still, the sensations that his body kept sending to his brain did not match with anything that he considered probable or even possible. His teeth felt different in his mouth, his ears were full of some unidentifiable and queer tones, his legs seemed much longer than they had been in the morning and his nails itched. His nails had NEVER itched before.

Yet it was nothing compared to the sight that his eyes were giving him.

Hermione was leaning against a wildly colored bed that he was lying on and stroking his chest with her hand; her look more curious than afraid, more interested than disgusted. She had lion's ears, rather long whiskers and her whole naked body glowed bright golden. She was purring.

He wanted to purr too. But he was no cat.

Or maybe he was. It did not matter. This was not real. He had been high and hallucinating before. He knew what was going on...

Her hand wandered towards his cock and obviously decided to settle there for a while.

Luckily, unreal did not mean he could not enjoy this, he decided and just let himself be carried away. _He can think later. If there will be some later._ He did not mind either way.

Her touches were ever so soft and hesitant and it made him relax into it even as his cock did the opposite.

Merlin, she was so beautiful, whiskers and all, as she was giving him those shy and sweet glances...

Then she climbed on top of him and he knew what would come next; he had imagined that often enough to know this would be one of THOSE dreams. He really was one lucky bastard.

Then she let her body swallow him, joining them and making their bodies blend till they were one single being. One perfect, flawless sum of everything that had ever existed and ever would. Moving together, feeling together, living as one. Loving each other.

Exactly as it should be if everything was the way he wanted it to be.

Nothing ever was the way he wanted it to be. Except for now. He knew it wouldn't last and that it was happening in his deluded mind only.

Still, it did not matter. This was worth it, regardless of what would come next. Nothing was as bad as this was good to him...

Then she took his hand and put it on her gorgeous breast, letting him touch her the way she never had and he made sure to enjoy it, happy beyond any imagination as he was feeling her, touching her sweet nipples, stroking her and playing with her tits.

She moaned and purred.

Fuck, she was as absolutely perfect as his real Hermione was.

Were there cats in afterlife? He might actually get one...

Her movements got wilder then and he could see her sharp teeth biting at her lip as her golden forehead creased in the pleasurable agony that he felt only too well himself. They were one body now, one soul.

She tightened, squeezing him and pleading to be given what only he could give her right now and he felt his balls harden to obey, shooting his cum into her to complete their union the way they needed. For them to be united forever...

She roared at that, triumphant and victorious, conquering him and juicing him to the last drop with her sweet, hot and tight pussy.

Fuck, how he loved her...

With him still wedged deep in her, she lay down on his chest, purring and letting him stroke her lean back.

They stayed like that for a blessed eternity. Then she took a brown feather to tickle his stomach, the frisky cat that she was. He let her play, only watching her focused and keen face, enjoying every single second of that. She deserved everything that she ever wanted.

"You should go to sleep now," she purred then and moved in a wrong direction - away from him. That would not do. He had to care for her. She belonged with him.

So he pulled her to him, wrapping himself around her delicate body to shelter and protect her. She needed to stay with him. And she needed to stay warm and safe.

Inhaling her pure scent with full lungs, he closed his eyes. He did not remember himself to be ever so happy...

* * *

"Hermione? Hermione?!"

 _Fuck, someone wants to take her from him!_

Severus' body shot up, placing himself immediately in between the voice and the soft precious body that he was meant to protect before he even opened his eyes properly.

"What-?! What are you doing to her?!" that someone managed to stammer before being hit with a blast of his magic.

A loud crack echoed through the room as the person collided with something while falling.

That person was Neville fucking Longbottom. Still aiming his wand at him, his hand shaking even as he was all but buried under all the heavy books that fell on him from the shelves. He had dark bruises covering his neck and face. _What happened to him while he was out? Was that the reason he decided to stay in the house instead of leaving to meet Potter? Or did HE do it yesterday? He dimly remembered fighting someone over the poison...  
_

He could feel Hermione shaking and hiding behind him, pulling the simple grey blanket that obviously used to be draped over them up her chin to cover her naked body.

"What the hell happened here?!" the boy asked.

 _A reasonable question, finally._

 _WHAT the hell happened?! Or what did NOT happen?!_

He was not sure of either.

"That is none of your business, Mr. Longbottom," he told him, looking around himself once more, trying to cover his uncertainty.

The library. Spinner's End.

"Not my business?! Hermione? What did he do to you?!" he asked the girl, making her blush and tremble even more, his wand still pointed at him. Yet with the way his hand was shaking, he could easily hurt her too if he were to cast anything.

There was no way he would let something like that happen. So he summoned the wand to himself with a twitch of his fingers, surprising the boy.

 _Idiot. He should have expected that one..._

"If you really have no idea about the way these activities are done, I would recommend Madame Pomfrey as the best source of objective information in this field. And you should watch your wand better," he advised him, placing the wood next to him on the sofa.

The boy's face got brightly red.

 _"You_ should watch your... _wand_ better!" he returned, his voice shaking.

A laugh burst out of Snape's mouth, deep and genuine, shocking the boy even more.

Damn, he had to be drugged with something still, he should be able to control himself better. The boy had a point though - he had no idea of what his _wand_ had been doing yesterday. Except for having sex with Hermione obviously. She was alive...

 _Good Merlin, she was alive!_

Looking at her and disregarding the boy entirely, he could not fight the smile that spread big on his face. She returned back to him. She was his again. She did not want him to die either, obviously; it had to be her who had patched him up...

Fuck, he hoped he hadn't forced himself onto her anyhow yesterday, raping her again... His smile stiffened on his lips.

But she was already blushing and looking away by the time in that sweet innocent way that was so typical for her, not looking troubled by his close presence or nakedness in the slightest. Hopefully he was not that bad to her then...

Smiling tentatively, she bit at her lip.

 _Damn, how he wanted to kiss her..._

But Longbottom had to spoil it all again, getting up from the pile of books laboriously and walking towards them.

"Come on, Hermione, let's get you out of here! You don't have to do anything like that anymore!" he told her as he was nearing to them. She only covered further behind him, making his heart swell in pride and hope. She was hiding behind HIM from her FRIEND! She trusted him more! She wanted him to shelter her from the boy!

"Neville, I can't-" she began saying but didn't seem to know how to finish.

"Mr. Longbottom, I suppose it would be welcome to the lady to let her dress first before talking to her. Turn around if you would be so kind. Or I will turn you around; not granting you would ever be able to turn back. Your choice," he explained his prospects to the boy, staring him down.

He saw the boy fuming, sweat covering his forehead.

Finally, he yielded, turning on his heel to give them the minimum of privacy that they needed to dress.

He saw her reaching for a pair of torn trousers and shirt that was lying on the floor. He summoned the same in his size from the hallway, hoping some of them remained intact even after the wardrobe had exploded.

Well, not perfect, but he was not naked anymore at least, he surmised after observing the various holes and burns in the fabric. Looking at Hermione, he saw they were dressed nearly the same now - in his old, torn clothes. Both smiled sheepishly at each other at that and it made him feel like an eighteen years old again.

 _Damn, he really loved this girl..._

The boy cleared his throat then, making them look away.

Too bad she would probably not forgive him for spelling the boy away; forever, preferably...

"We are fine now, Neville," Hermione told him shyly and the boy hesitantly turned towards them again.

"Hermione, you don't have to do this!" he burst out again, obviously desperate.

"I actually have to, Neville... You don't understand the-"

"I understand it well enough! It's him who got you out of the prison, right? So you would sleep with him in return! And now he made you sleep with him again for getting _me_ out of the cell!" he yelled, leaving Hermione gaping at him.

"It's not-" Hermione started to explain but the boy did not seem to notice it in his tantrum.

"You are a damn perverted bastard to demand something like that from a girl! I can pay my debts myself, just so you know!" Longbottom turned to him, obviously wanting to fight in spite of having no wand.

 _Gryffindors..._

"As much as I appreciate being addressed in this manner by a mere oblivious boy, it rather makes me regret I didn't indeed cut you up for the potion ingredients... It seem to me that your brain can never achieve such a level of usefulness if it remains stuck in your dumb skull..." he sneered, knowing fully well that the boy knew nothing about human brain being of no use in potions whatsoever.

Judging by the loud sound of Longbottom's attempt at swallowing and his green complexion, he indeed didn't.

Severus smiled evilly.

"Don't worry, Neville, there is no such potion that would require human brain to be added to it. He is just being mean," Hermione said then, watching him disapprovingly.

 _Damn._

"The more the reason to invent one then," Snape huffed, indignant.

She snorted in amusement at that, making the corners of his mouth twitch up too. _Merlin, the effect this woman had on him..._

Longbottom only stared at them in disbelief, standing even as they were still seated together on the sofa. When he finally seemed to rouse himself, he made a few more steps towards them, outstretching his hand towards Hermione as if to help her to stand up too and making Severus' chest squeeze and tighten at that. He did not want the boy to touch her. He did not want anyone even so near to her...

"Hermione, I am not sure what is happening in here but you don't have to suffer him any longer. Whatever he promised to you, it's not worth it. Just go with me, we will find a way together..." he said, his voice quiet and urgent.

That was the last drop to him. She was HIS!

Something knocked the boy back, making him stagger and nearly fall, his face surprised and confused.

"No! Don't!" Hermione said, startled, placing her hand on his knee and distracting him more than enough by that to forget about wanting to strangle the boy only a few seconds prior.

"Now stop this, the both of you, and sit down. We need to talk before something bad happens," she ordered them decisively, folding her hands over her chest again, breaking their physical contact. _Too bad for him..._

He knew better than disobey. As did Longbottom, obviously, who had managed to find his feet in the meantime and used them to slowly move himself to the vacant armchair, still a bit shaken.

 _He did not do that much to him even... Yet. Wimp._

"Now Neville, tell us what you are doing here and then you can ask us what you want to know," she offered, reasonable as ever.

"Fine then. I was framed for the death of one of the professors after you escaped the Common Room. I was tortured by the cronies of this Death Eater of a Headmaster. The last thing I remember from Hogwarts is him standing over me, pulling my nails out like some crazy mass murderer from a bad Muggle horror movie. Then I woke up here with his letter telling me he saved me and that I should heal myself and then go to some fishing hut," he finished, his voice shaking.

 _Merlin... He probably should have explained better,_ Snape thought, _it did not sound too convincing when put like that..._

"How do you know I was innocent?" the boy asked him then, suspicious.

He sighed.

"Because it was me who killed the man," he answered simply. There was no reason to lie.

Longbottom's mouth opened at that, forming a nice, round, stupid "O".

"You killed a professor?!" It was Hermione this time, her eyes shocked and accusing.

"I did. Same as I killed 13 people yesterday personally and caused the death of over a hundred more indirectly," he told her, not hiding anything from her even as it hurt him to see her lean away from him at that in fear. She had a right to know what kind of person he was though...

"Why?! And how can you talk about it like that? Like it was normal?" she asked, her eyes wide.

She really was innocent...

"We are at war, Ms. Granger. People do what is necessary to protect what they care about and to survive," he told her, not mentioning he killed all the people for her and Potter this time. Nor the fact that she herself was the indirect cause for 6 deaths only during her imprisonment in the fortress as he had learned recently that both Nott and Willington had not survived their encounter with his wards around her cell... She did not need to have that on her conscience - it was enough that it weighted on his; Death Eaters or not, they were fathers of families...

There was a minute of stunned surprise.

"So... Yesterday I healed you from the injuries that you got while on some kind of a killing spree?" she asked him hesitantly then.

"Something like that... I never asked for your help though. It would be much easier if you just let me die. Now we - you especially - could be faced with... consequences," he said vaguely for Longbottom's sake, hoping she would get the hint about their recent and obviously unprotected sex.

Judging by her adoption of the bright red color that went up her cheeks again, she DID get the hint.

"I... I reckoned I ... would rather create a new life than let you end yours," she said after a few moments, so quiet he barely heard her.

WHAT?

He could only stare at her, not believing his ears.

Did she really mean to say she cared for him?! Or was it just her being so pure and good to everyone again, for some reason including him even? Sacrificing herself and destroying her life for someone like HIM?!

"What the hell is happening here?" the brat demanded, obviously desperate and confused, spoiling the moment.

 _Damn, he_ _really_ _SHOULD have left him in the cell!_

 _Was it too late to take him by his ear and return him there now...?_

 _It probably was,_ he sighed in defeat.

Looking at her, he silently asked her for her permission or denial to offer the explanation to the boy, estimating she probably did not want to say it herself. After a while, she nodded, her eyes set down on her lap where she fiddled with a stray thread from her shirt.

"I am willing to explain the situation to you on the condition that you give me an Unbreakable Vow to never disclose this to anyone without Ms. Granger explicit permission," he said then, eyeing her as her head shot up in surprise.

Yet she did not say anything to contradict him so she probably thought it was for the best too.

The boy squirmed for a while, yet finally his curiosity won over his unwillingness to bear such a burden on himself. It was really no wonder now why the boy was a Gryffindor and not a Hufflepuff... No sense for self-preservation whatsoever.

It took him even longer to pluck up the courage to touch his hand.

 _Was he contagious? Or a Basilisk? Or what was the matter with the boy?_

"Neville Longbottom, will you swear that you will not ever reveal anything of what happened yesterday and what was and will be discussed today to anyone without Ms. Granger's explicit permission?"

"I will," the boy answered shakily, sweating and releasing his hand the second the golden line appeared on their skin to seal the Vow.

"Very well then," he said, looking once more at Hermione for confirmation and waiting till she nodded again.

"During Miss Granger's imprisonment by the Dark Lord, we have been forced into creating and sealing a certain kind of Marital bond, twisted to suit the Dark Lord's purposes. Simply put, it compels us to be intimate with each other on a regular basis. It is also the reason why Miss Granger is currently accommodated here and why there are the Death Eaters guarding the house as she is still considered incarcerated by the Dark Lord. I was only permitted to transfer her to my home on some conditions so she could be safer."

"Safer?! Surrounded by Death Eaters in a ruin that is about to come down at any minute? With YOU as her only company? How is that safer or better to anyone?!"

 _The impertinent brat... is right._ Severus squeezed the bridge of his nose tiredly. And he was not even told of the Mark yet...

"You do not know what you are talking about, Neville. You have not seen the fortress, you do not know what was happening there. It was the only way to keep me away from it. The professor is risking a lot even as it is, granting me the freedom I have now to move around, trusting me and sheltering me the way he is..." the girl said, her eyes hard as she was defending him.

Defending HIM!

No one has ever done that. Not in that way at least. It left him speechless.

What had happened to her during that week? Where was the uncertainty, fear and disgust that she had always shown him?

"Hermione, can I speak to you? Alone?" Longbottom asked, shooting him a look.

"There is no way I would..." he began saying, not intending to leave her in the slightest now. She was just returned to him. He did not even like to share her presence with the boy, let alone leave her all to him... She was HIS!

But she did not let him finish that, interrupting him.

"I think I am rather hungry. Starving actually. Do you think you could fix us some breakfast?" she pleaded, looking at him with those soft brown eyes.

He nodded before he even knew it.

 _Fuck._

He was defenseless against those eyes... Plus she obviously really needed the food, being even thinner than he remembered; surely by two or three pounds at least. He needed to care better for her...

Exasperated, he stood up, looking back at her again and not wanting to go even an inch further away from her. Not at all.

Still, she asked him to. He had no other choice...

"I won't go anywhere. We will just talk," she told him as if knowing exactly what was on his mind at that moment.

He should have said he was aware of that to save some of his dignity. But he couldn't. Fuck him.

So he just nodded and went to the remnants of his fireplace to go to Hogwarts and ask for some food.

 _The damned House Elves should better be quick about this lest they will be ordered to clean the boys' lavatories for the rest of their life..._

* * *

 _No big cliffhangers this time - I really tried, you see!  
_

 _ _The next one will be told by Hermione in a few days :-)__

 _Thank you so much for reading and reviewing (maybe? Please?)_


	57. Chapter 57

_For Claery, the last person so far who has favorited the story - and me even!_

 _Big thanks to you all who did the same! I love you dearly for that!_

* * *

CHAPTER 57

The Floo was not even fully deactivated, signalling Snape's removal from the house, when Neville all but barged into her, startling her with the urgency she was faced with from him.

"Are you really sleeping with him because of some kind of freaky magical bond? Or is he making you?" he asked, obviously worried and uneasy.

She surveyed him cautiously, surprised by his outburst. _It was not like he could make something like that it up, was it?_

"Neville, we have been BOTH forced into this; he had no choice either if he did not want to blow his cover! He never broke his word to keep it to the necessary minimum and I am sure he doesn't even want to..."

"What?! Don't you see it, Hermione? The man loves you!"

Hermione froze at that, shocked. Then she snorted in cheerless amusement, waving her hand dismissively.

"Don't be ridiculous! He just does what he has to do. He has always done that and no more."

He gave her an incredulous look at that.

"And here I thought you are clever! The way he watches you, the way he listens to every word you say. Even the way he looks at you every few seconds to keep track as to where precisely you are! He is head over heels in it. And trust me, I am the first one who would never believe it possible if I did not see it with my own eyes!"

"He is just a bit doped still, I would say. Anyone would be after all the stuff he had to drink yesterday... I fully expect him to be back to his normal, cold self tomorrow," she thought aloud, frowning and not particularly looking forward to that.

Neville watched her critically, shrugging.

"Ok, at least you won't be able to say I didn't warn you when you'll find it out yourself finally. Just be careful; people in love do crazy things. Especially mad and dangerous mass murderers like him..." he said, shooting a nervous glance towards the door Snape had disappeared through.

"I am not saying he is the nicest person in the world nor that he is not dangerous - I'm only too well aware of _that_ \- but still, he is obviously on our side and helping. He got me out of the fortress. He got even you out of the cell! It had to be difficult to pull it out for him and I never knew about it so I did not make him promise that even... He did it on his own, thinking he would die yesterday," she kept defending Snape, hoping she was right.

 _Sure, he was ruthless. Killing evidently came easy to him, same as hurting people did. Still, they needed someone capable of that. They needed him... And he could be gentle and considerate too, on occasions_ , she admitted to herself, remembering their night together and hoping she was not blushing too much.

"Sure, he did get me out of the cell that he had locked me into himself after framing me with a murder _he_ had done! And then he goes to kill who knows how many exactly people and talks about it as if it was nothing! It had to be some poor Muggles if it really was a hundred, Hermione! No one can kill so many wizards for it to not appear in the Prophet!" he said, gesticulating towards the newspaper that lay on the coffee table and that Snape probably still kept ordering and paying for to be delivered to her.

Hermione could only shrug her shoulders, uncertain herself. There had to be some explanation, she was sure of that. _Or did she only WANT to be sure of that?_

"The Prophet is not to be trusted these days, Neville. I have been reading it for weeks now and I saw it was just full of propaganda... They might not mention it because they were all Death Eaters," she tried to reason with him. _And herself too..._

Neville snorted at that skeptically.

"So you are telling me you would rather trust that man? The man who insulted and belittled you for years, along with all the rest of us except for his precious Death Eating Slytherins? Who tortured me without even batting an eye?" he asked, unbelieving.

 _He hurt me too_ , Hermione thought, cringing. Still, she was not about to talk about that. He deserved a chance and he had yet to prove her wrong... They could make this work if they trusted each other.

If she was mistaken in him, it was all lost anyway... They - and she especially - stood no chance without him on their side. She could do only very little to help Harry and Ron herself. She needed him...

 _And he had yet to get angry at her,_ she realized. He did not even yell at her for her foolish escape so far, probably saving it for later when they are alone... He was a perfect actor if he really was mad at her though, all the honest looking smiles and shy glances... Maybe he was grateful to her for saving him even as he would not admit that?

It all confused her to no end...

Neville still stared at her, challenge and worry clear in his eyes.

"I trust him, Neville, he is our best chance to save Harry and Ron. End of the story. Now show me your hands and the bruises," she commanded, trying to change the topic finally and reaching for his bandaged fingers to help him.

Shrugging in defeat, the boy outstretched his hands towards her and looked away while she worked.

She was just about finished and was dabbing the last bit of the Bruise Salve on his neck when the Floo flared to life again and Snape stalked back into the room, a heavy plate in his hands. Neville started trembling immediately, although he tried to not to show it too much.

 _Damn, the man must be really spooking him..._

And that was before Snape had shot him that nasty look as he did now; it made the boy retreat from her in a hurry for some reason, seating himself back in the armchair. Was he scared of her too now?

Without a word of explanation, Snape sat on the sofa next to her, occupying the place Neville had vacated just seconds ago, and placed the plate on the table.

"Eat," he ordered simply, lifting the lid.

She did not need to be told twice. _Damn, how she missed the hot and delicious food from Hogwarts!_

She only slowed down after her third helping of the shepherd's pie as to not make herself sick. Looking up, she noticed both men were only staring at her in astonishment.

Hermione smiled shyly at them, wiping at her mouth with a napkin.

"I am sorry. Not much food for free around Britain these days," she said sheepishly by the way of explanation.

Snape smiled back in understanding, some tension leaving him. Then he took a sandwich and a cup of coffee for himself as if nothing had happened.

Neville kept staring though. _Was it really so strange to be hungry?_

"Looking dumb would not feed you, Mr. Longbottom, and you will need your strength for your imminent sightseeing journey around a certain lake in Scotland..."

"Are you throwing me out?" the boy asked, nervous but exasperated.

"I would never dare to do such a thing," Snape said sarcastically. "I just suppose you will find yourself to be much more useful and welcome there than you are here. Shall you happen to disagree with that, you are free to return here if Miss Granger wishes for your continuous presence. Just remember the Vow you have given today when you get there; it would be very unfortunate and wasteful to let you die over a slip of a tongue with all your body parts still in your possession..." he said, sneering.

 _He just won't stop scaring the poor boy on purpose, the_ _show-off.._. Hermione thought even as she could not help herself to not become both rather amused and confused at their exchange. There had to be some sort of history between them that she did not understand yet...

Neville gulped. Yet he did not move to take anything, probably too nervous to eat. No one prodded him anymore then.

When they finished eating, the boy rose to his feet and went to hug her. It made her feel slightly uneasy, especially with Snape watching them like a hawk from only a few feet away. Still, she hugged him back and blinked a few times to chase her tears away.

"Take care, Hermione. And let me know if you ever need me, right?" he whispered in her ear and she nodded, touched by his words. He really grew into a wonderful man.

"The same goes for you. You can return here whenever you want. I will always try to help you," she promised and really meant it. _She really has to start doing something useful..._

Evidently at a loss for words, Neville went to the demolished fireplace and Snape followed him. Then Neville outstretched his shaky hand towards the taller man after obviously having to fight with himself for some time.

"I guess I should thank you if it really is as Hermione claims it is... For saving me, I mean. Still, you should know that I'll find you if you ever hurt her and I'll make you pay even if it is the last thing I ever do," Neville said, his voice serious and his eyes finally fully meeting Snape's.

She expected the man to laugh then, or sneer at the very least. Yet, he only nodded, accepting the offered hand and shaking it briefly.

"I would be disappointed in you if you didn't, Mr. Longbottom," he answered, sounding even somewhat friendly now for some reason after being all but threatened.

 _Men are strange..._

"Do you want me to walk you through the school? Or will you rather find the way yourself? Umbridge and Carrow should be both indisposed still if I remember correctly... You will only have to watch out for Filch," Snape explained.

"I'm fine. I will go alone," Neville said, probably not being able to wait any longer to get away from the man, regardless his previous words of thanks.

Snape nodded.

"Off with you then. And the best of luck to you," the professor wished him and Neville waved at her nervously before collecting some powder from the floor to throw it in the fireplace.

Her chest constricted painfully as she saw him disappearing though.

She was all alone with him again. Damn, she hoped he would not start yelling now...

There was silence in the room for a few seconds.

Then he made a few steps towards her and she fought hard not to retreat from him. He did not seem mad though... Not yet at least.

"I guess I should say thank you too. For saving my life at the very least. I really don't think anyone else would be efficient and competent enough to manage it in time..." he said and she felt her cheeks getting hot again, for about the hundredth time that day. He had never praised her so openly before and it made her feel... proud of herself. Bigger somehow. Still, he did not know everything... She was not as good as he thought her to be...

"I am not as competent as you think; I did not manage to remove all the traces of the potion. I am afraid your body will always consider the Felix Felicis to be a poison from now on, even if it is finished. It would kill you the second you take it. Also all the ingredients used in that thing. So no more strong pain killers. Not even the After-Cruciatus Potion..." she listed just some concoctions that she knew used some of the same components and cringed. With the way he lived - or tried to end? - his life, this would mean a constant agony to him... She really ruined this...

He only looked at her, showing as much emotion about this new bit of information as if they were discussing the weather.

"It is a miracle I am alive and functioning now, Miss Granger. It was very clever of you to even recognize what was the problem, let alone knowing how to fix it. I wouldn't. So I am not about to complain over some trivialities and insignificant inconveniences... You should be proud of yourself," he told her and she blushed anew.

 _Damn, she needed to stop doing that..._

She nodded, accepting his thanks. The room was silent for a few moments as they both kept looking anywhere but at each other.

"So what do we do about the house?" she asked then to change the topic.

"Well, the first and rather important step is me making a very serious resolution about controlling myself better while stressed. The second could be me repairing some of the furniture and equipment..."

"And the third is me helping you to clean up a bit and ordering you around when I see you slacking..." she supplemented teasingly and froze for a moment, fearing she overdid it and overstepped some invisible boundary of his unexpected tolerance towards her today. Fortunately, the next second she was relieved to see him smile at her again, displaying all his new white teeth.

"That sounds perfect," he answered, the smile in his tone too.

 _Yes, they probably can make this work._

* * *

 _A relatively calm_ _ _ _chapter__ this time - the next one is going to contain a lot more of action! It will appear shortly :-)_

 _Thank you so much for your support!_


	58. Chapter 58

_Over a hundred of people found this story good enough to add it into their favorites now. A double sized chapter as a reward and thanks from me to all of you is here now!_

 _A special thanks to **Fantomette34** for helping me with the French bits in this chapter!_

* * *

CHAPTER 58

The past few days had been with no doubt the happiest in Severus' life.

Not only did Hermione seem more relaxed in his company; now she even smiled at him every time that he went to visit her at the house, making it the best greeting and he had ever seen. Damn, he felt even welcome in the house when she did that!

And they talked; not only about theories and academic researches but about pretty much everything that they could think of at the moment - she even told him how she had got the keys and what had happened to her during the week that she had been away although he had some suspicion it was not the full story as something about it was still making her nervous and worried.

They also worked together, forming a rather formidable team at rebuilding and making the ruin of a house worth living in; him making the size adjustments and creating new rooms where she wished to have them, her planning and organizing the furniture that he had either repaired, transformed from the old one or brought from his quarters in Hogwarts. The woman even somehow managed to make him feel rather satisfied with the work by her constant and gentle praise and after a few days he even tended to forget he was at Spinner's End at all, the venue of his fucked up childhood. The rooms he had been locked in regularly by his father. The place where his mother died... He knew he was really eating out of her hand, doing everything exactly as she wanted. And he didn't care, not a tiny bit.

But the best of all was her telling him that the new batch of the Curse Soothing Salve that he had brewed for her was not needed any more; that the Mark had not bothered her at all for the past week. She seemed rather happy herself at that, even going as far as showing her shoulder to him spontaneously and with a proud smile so he could see himself that it was all but healed.

 _She trusted him finally. She seemed to actually want his company even, unbelievable as it was._ Severus smiled widely at that thought, even as he was still answering the annoying letters in his office. He saw the portraits shooting him strange looks but he could not care less; they would not dare to ask anyway. And he was not about to apologize for having some joy in his life, even if it was undeserved.

He always tried to wait till it was six in the evening at least as to not seem too impatient and then stayed there till about eleven as to not bother her any longer when she seemed tired and wanting to go to bed. And then he would leave and try to sleep only to return to her a few hours later, careful as to not wake her up, watching and guarding her while she dreamed, seated in the now renovated armchair in the library... She was so beautiful that it never got boring to just sit there and look at her, bringing peace and relief to his very soul.

He caught himself fidgeting at the desk and watching the clock then, not being able to wait patiently to return to her finally. It always seemed so excruciatingly long till he could go back there and then the time at the house flew by so quickly...

It was quarter to six when he gave up and rose quickly to collect some Floo powder to get to her. He was just reaching for the small bowl when the familiar jolt of pain seared through his left arm, making him flinch and grab at his elbow, overthrowing the little container. For the first time that week, he had been summoned.

 _The bloody noseless bugger really knew how to fuck up his day..._

* * *

It was one of the nasty raids this time.

He obviously had not managed to send the note with the warning in time for the Order to arrive before they did, giving the Death Eaters the element of surprise and inflicting a hell of a chaos onto the mostly panicked students. Even against their currently considerably reduced numbers, they stood no chance like that and were easily singled out and killed - in case of the boys - or arrested if they were girls. Exactly as the Big Bastard had ordered.

Furthermore, his 'brethren' were aware of the purpose of the arrests, knowing fully well the girls were meant to be bound and raped. With that in mind and with no order to prevent that from happening now spontaneously, the wild animals that used to be men a long time ago mostly got to rape the girls immediately themselves, often disregarding their own safety for the physical pleasure. The desperate screams and cries could be heard all over the battlefield that used to be a Quidditch pitch at Beauxbatons...

Severus really tried to keep low; to wait for the Order to arrive to hide his actions behind theirs, blending in with the Death Eaters yet firing curses from behind with no one to notice it as was his usual tactic.

But he couldn't do that now for some reason. Not when he saw one of the girls, about 14 years old, now cornered and bound alongside two others, being grabbed at and manhandled. The girl had light brown, curly hair...

 _Fuck it._

He had kept witnessing and enduring those scenes for years yet he had lost it the second he saw the man hit the lithe girl in her face, press her towards the ground harshly and push himself in between her legs, his pants down and pulling the skirt of her school uniform away. He could not understand a word she was screaming but it was clear she was begging. Begging him to stop. Same as Hermione was, so long ago...

He would make the bastard stop even if it was the last thing he would ever do. He would not be able to live with himself any longer if he didn't. He would not be able to look into Hermione's eyes again after seeing what he was about to see...

So he killed the man, quickly and with no word of warning. And then three others who had been close enough to see what had happened.

And then he was faced with Dren Wolf, one of the very few Death Eaters who did not openly hate him. The man who usually stayed away from the raids as his task was to heal the valuable prisoners and Death Eaters when they returned, often working with him in his lab to produce the needed potions. The man who was only summoned for this because of their lowered numbers. The man who had never killed or hurt anybody as far as he knew. The man who had three small kids and a wife waiting for him at home. The man who had saved his life only a few months ago by patching him up after a duel...

The man was watching him now, motionless, his eyes big and his wand useless and shaking in his hand.

He could not let him live to tell about this. He could talk, even Obliviated. It was just too risky. He had promised to maintain his cover at all cost...

 _Shit._

"Avada Kedavra," he said, closing his eyes briefly as the body hit the ground.

 _Fuck._

He wanted to yell and hit something but there was no time to spare. He had to free the girls and give this fucked up thing some sense by that at least.

Feeling cold and empty inside, he collected the brown haired girl from the ground where she lay contained and pinned to the ground by the dead body of the fucker that had made him do this in the first place.

 _Crap, he wanted to kill him again. Or at least kick the corpse in its ugly masked face._

He felt the girl silently shaking and sobbing as he was helping her, her skin cold and obviously in shock. He lead her to the other two who were still stuck and bound to the Quidditch stand so they would feel safer together.

"Tout va bien se passer. Attendez ici et n'allez nulle part. L'aide viendra,"* he told them, remembering some of the French phrases he had learned when he yet hadn't known the girl he had been bound to - Hermione - was English speaking.

He was just about to release them and disappear to blend in the Death Eater ranks again when four loud cracks resounded just a few feet behind him.

 _The Order. Finally._

Lupin, Kingsley, Bill and Charlie Weasley.

They did not waste a second to fire at him.

 _Fuck!_

Ducking and casting a Protego automatically, he heard and felt the curses hit the girls behind him instead, stunning one of them and making them all scream and panic again.

 _The fucking morons! Friendly fire was all kinds of fun but not if aimed at kids!_

He could not protect the girls himself - not three of them at the same time, not where they were immobilized. Furthermore, it would look suspicious even to the four cretins. He could not even run and escape the stand - the only way out was just behind the line of newly arrived wizards. He could not cast something meaningful back and disable the idiots either; the Order needed every single person to be able to fight today to manage to defend the school and the students.

So he just stood up in front of the frightened Petrified girls and waited for the spells to land, making a show of not being able to deflect them in time and careful not to move around too much as to not make them miss him again.

A few Cutting Curses. A Bone Breaking Curse. An Oppugno that made a heavy log knock him down.

He pretended to be unconscious, hoping they would just disarm and tie him up quickly, release the girls and move on in their hurry.

They did and he exhaled in relief. They never even remembered to take the wands from the surrounding dead bodies. He knew he should be happy about that but it only made him despair all the more in a way - the Light was doomed if this was the best they had to offer...

* * *

He sat, slouched in Dumbledore's armchair, facing the fireplace with the scattered powder around it that lead to her. Aching to see her. Longing to let her soothe some of the pain with her mere presence. Yearning to go to the house that had just started to feel like home for him for the first time in his life. The place where she was now, making it the place where he felt he belonged to...

But he just could not face her; not after what he had done today. She would know something was off and she would ask.

He could not lie to her.

So he needed to collect some of his peace back on his own first.

 _Fuck, if only he knew where to look for it..._

His eyes strayed to the long neglected bottle of Firewhiskey and he summoned it to himself, praying it would work this time, at least a tiny bit...

* * *

The fireplace flared to life suddenly, making him spill the last few drops of the golden liquid that he had been just about to pour down his throat.

It could be no one else than Hermione. Why would she come here though? She had never done that before.

 _Fuck, he really hoped she did not need his help with something important now when he was wasted like this..._

The next second her slender form appeared in his office, dusting herself of and looking around the darkened room cautiously till she found him sitting in the armchair in his favorite corner. Gasping, she made a few haste footsteps in his direction.

 _Shit._

"Why have you come?" he asked, trying to look and sound sober and composed.

"I was... worried about you when you didn't show up tonight," she answered quietly, yet her voice still carried clearly across the totally silent room.

"I am fine. You can go back now. Good night," he tried to dissuade her. She did not back off; quite the opposite, nearing to him even more instead.

 _Damn. Did he really have to fall in love with a Gryffindor again?_

"You don't look fine to me. I can smell blood. And alcohol too."

He didn't know what to say to that so he kept quiet. His tongue was too lazy to form the words anyway...

"What happened?" she prodded, near enough to touch him now and pulling out her wand.

He didn't answer once more. He would not admit to her he had been trying to drink himself unconscious so he would forget about the inevitable; telling her the brats are free now and watching her slam the door in his face, not even looking back in her hurry to rejoin the two idiots... Confessing they had been set free a whole week ago and deciding to not tell her on purpose exactly because of his selfish fear of being abandoned by her again...

 _He was one big self-interested fucking coward._

"Was it Voldemort?" she asked then, casting the diagnostic charm and mending the bones in his hand yet again.

He flinched as the name sent a painful jolt up his forearm and then shook his head in denial.

"Who did it then? Another Death Eater?" Her voice was as gentle to his soul as her touch to his skin.

 _Fuck._

She did not deserve this. Did not deserve to be lied to in this way, leaving her to believe he was some kind of hero by not telling her... He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"It was the Order," he said while exhaling.

She stilled for a while. Then she recommenced her ministrations again without any comment as if nothing had happened. As if she cared about HIM and not the side he was fighting against...

 _Shit. How can anyone be that goodhearted?! She had to be deluding herself about him surely..._

"Miss Granger, I am not the person you obviously think I am. I have done a lot of bad things," he confessed to her. She responded only by starting to heal one of the deeper cuts on his neck.

 _Fuck, he would have to tell her. Now._

"I got Potter and Weasley out of the fortress-" he began yet never managed to say the missing 'a week ago without telling you' as she immediately squealed in pure delight and shocked him speechless by wrapping her hands around his now healthy neck.

"You did?! Did you really manage to set them free? Are they alive and safe?" she asked, vivid sparks in her beautiful eyes.

He nodded, not able to say any more, mesmerized by the sight and her behavior.

The unimaginable happened then.

She kissed him.

Kissed him full and with no hesitation, her tongue brushing against his shocked lips excitedly till he granted it an entrance, yielding and submitting to her demand on instinct. No breathing in him this time, only her sweet, pure taste and hungry tongue exploring his mouth expertly, making a rush of excitement and lust swallow him and shake his whole being.

Fuck, she was really good at it. Much better and more experienced that he was in any case... He was rock hard after only a few seconds of this. And she did not seem to want to stop...

He knew it was just an act of misplaced gratitude and that he should tell her to stop and let him explain. But her hand strayed to his crotch then, taking all air away from him.

Did she really want to do that? Suffering through it again with him and risking getting pregnant just to say an undeserved 'thank you for doing what you promised to do'? It was only Saturday tonight. She had to know this was unnecessary now...

Unless this was actually a 'goodbye'. Unless she wanted to give him a week more to live before having to kill himself because she would leave him immediately afterwards, never to return this time...

Squeezing his eyes closed in pain at that thought, he suppressed a helpless sob.

 _He will do it tomorrow, as soon as she leaves and he puts his affairs in order. He could not live through another day without her, let alone a week..._

Pouring all his desperation and need into kissing her, he slipped his hands under her shirt and circled her slim waist with his arms, feeling her soft skin and hugging her to himself on the big armchair. She pressed herself even closer to him at that.

He would be hers if she wanted him to tonight. He would do everything she ever wanted. He would even let her go with no objections or pleas for her to stay. And then he would end what was left of his life finally...

But now it was time to say goodbye. The way she asked him to, the way she compelled him to with her body as she was now rubbing erotically against his erection, straddling him on the armchair...

Armchair... It had to be uncomfortable for her; it was not wide enough to properly accommodate her legs that were now folded next to his hips. That would not do. Especially as his Headmaster quarters were just behind the door. They could do this on a proper bed at least once when it was for the last time...

Collecting her gently into his arms and never breaking their kiss, he lifted her, wandlessly opened the door and carried her to his big oak four-poster bed that he was using for the few hours a day that he managed to spend sleeping. She did not seem to even notice the transfer, her arms still wrapped around his neck and her eyes closed as she kept kissing him.

Fuck, he never really deserved her. He didn't deserve her staying with him for as long as she had. He didn't deserve this smooch even...

So he used all restraint and willpower he had to tear himself away from her taste and smell to break the best - and first proper - kiss in his life to look into her eyes.

"Are you sure about this? You don't have to..." He could not finish the question. Could not tell her now that he did not need a whole week more to live for writing and sending a few letters. She could just go now and leave him behind with no obligations whatsoever. Furthermore, he had managed to misinterpret her behavior before and he really did not want to repeat that, hurting or scaring her... That was surely NOT the last thing he ever wanted to do to her in his life.

She nodded resolutely, her eyes set on his, beautiful as ever with her hair spilled on the blue bed sheet. Then she wrapped her hand around his neck again and pulled him towards herself to resume their kiss.

That seemed like a quite unambiguous consent at least.

Giving in and bending to meet her fully, he let his tongue battle with hers, enjoying the intimacy and closeness of this as he had never before and fighting hard to control himself to not do anything more than that. Something he had no permission to do. Like touch her gorgeous breasts or stroke her pussy through the thin fabric of her clothes...

Her fingers began blindly fumbling with the buttons on his shirt then and it startled him. Why would she want to undo them? Did she really want to see all the ugly scars and burns that only used to look like skin a long time ago? Or his ribs, so apparent on his bony chest?

There was really not much on him worth looking at, even after she had fixed his face, making it look nearly acceptable. Nearly.

Still, she seemed to want it for a reason. She would get anything she ever wanted from him...

So he helped her, unbuttoning the shirt wandlessly with a wave of his hand even as he was still using his second to support himself against the bed as to not put any of his weight on her delicate and precious body. Her hands landed on his chest immediately, stroking and caressing it gently yet eagerly. He would never guess that being possible but it made him even harder, his cock filling up all the space it could get in his pants and making him breathe audibly both in excitement and effort to contain himself.

Fuck, it was getting really difficult to remind himself she was only pretending to want him. That she only wanted to make this nice to him before she leaves, purely out of gratefulness and her good heart that he was misusing now...

Merlin, her good heart now wanted to free his abused cock too, he surmised as he felt her her hands moving down to reach under his pants and boxers and try to pull them down.

Exhaling audibly and surrendering the last bits of restraint he still clung to, he helped her and undressed himself fully. She did not hesitate for a second to wrap her hand around his dick, both shocking him - he had no idea where THIS came from - and making another wave of lust go though his whole body, prompting and ordering him to act and take her finally.

If her goal was to drive him crazy with wanting her, it was working splendidly.

He just about reached to her to try and stroke her through the shirt, his need to touch her as she was touching him almost painful, when the inevitable happened.

She pushed him away from her and sat up.

 _Fuck._

That was as embarrassing as it was understandable. No one sane could pretend that much and endure it to the end.

It was still the best kiss of his life, pretended passion or not. He was one lucky bastard to get it...

He waited for the blow to land - her to begin laughing at him as there were probably only few things more funny than a rejected, stark naked and aroused ugly man next to a fully dressed, beautiful young girl. He just hoped she would not start to pity him instead; that would be even worse...

But she astonished him then by what she did next, leaving him staring and unable to move.

She took her shirt off with one swift motion and then went directly for her bra too, unclasping it and revealing her perfect tits to him. Not even looking at him, she continued by removing her pants and knickers too, flinging them carelessly on the floor.

When she finally met his eyes, there was no pity. Not even gratefulness as he was expecting. It was something else entirely and it nearly made his cock explode in orgasm then and there, embarrassing him like a too eager teenager.

Fuck, she was so hot; all the flawless curves, velvety skin, sweet scent, the round tits and firm butt. And the look that made him feel like she really wanted him.

Wasting no time, she pushed at his chest firmly and resolutely enough to make him lie down on his back and then climbed atop of him a bit too adeptly for it to be done for the first time, folding her legs along his body and bending to resume the kiss.

 _Fuck!_

He could not think any longer, trying to guess where this came from. He was just too far beyond anything that would be depending on his brain function. He rather doubted there was even any blood left in it to make it work as all of it seemed to move down to his cock along with all his will...

Giving in, he let his hands roam her body, stroking all the perfectness that was in his reach. Letting his fingers slide along the curves of her awesome butt and gliding around her breasts and wonderful nipples. Feeling the perfect curve of her elegant back...

His fingers strayed to her pussy then and he froze at that minutely. She was dripping wet. And she moaned into his mouth at that contact.

It made his hips shoot up, his cock needing to get into her as much as his fingers needed to touch her.

The next thing he knew, he was buried fully in her tight heat, moaning as much as she was at the pure bliss that it made him experience. _Fuck, this would never get old to him..._

She began moving against him then, making her tits and clit rub against him with her sensuous ride and never breaking the kiss that was even deeper and more passionate now. It was driving him crazy with desire only after a few minutes...

 _Shit, he won't last a minute more if she keeps doing that and producing all those little needy moans..._

Luckily, she diverted his attention by breaking the kiss then and sitting up, bracing herself against his chest with her hands and rocking her hips, her head tilted back slightly. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open a bit and her forehead creased as if concentrating on something.

It was the sexiest concentration he had ever seen.

Her hips moved rather jerkily a few times and she made a muffled gasp, stilling over him, a nearly painful expression in her face.

Fuck. She was holding back for some reason...

Hoping and praying he would not scare her now by this and spoil everything, he did not wait a second longer, wrapped one hand around her waist and the other around her neck and turned them both in one fluid motion so that he would be on top of her, his hips in between her legs and his lips on hers even as he still held her firmly to himself.

He began thrusting into her determinedly then and his fingers found their way to the little nub above her sweet pussy.

The next second, her back arched and she clenched around him, screaming into his mouth.

Fuck, he had made her come. She was certainly NOT pretending this!

A wave of blind ecstasy swallowed him then and he felt himself cumming into her tightening pussy, letting it squeeze and milk him till the very last drop of his semen got exactly where it wanted to be. In the most wonderful girl in the world...

Breathing hard and shaking as the unearthly pleasure still roamed around his whole body, he concentrated on holding himself up so he would not crush her precious body with his weight.

 _Fuck, THIS is the best moment of his life, no doubts about that,_ he thought when he was able to finally open his eyes and saw her there under him, covered in sweat, clutching at the sheets and still moaning in her own orgasm, her pussy never ceasing in its delicious work on his cock that he had no strength nor will to withdraw just yet.

Finally, the convulsions seemed to leave her body and her muscles relaxed, a small and content smile forming on her lips as she opened her eyes, looking directly in his.

'I love you,' was all he wanted to say to her then. If only he dared to.

Fuck him. She did not deserve to get scared and startled like that, especially not now.

So he just smiled back at her and carefully removed himself from her, lying on his back next to her, forgetting about everything else but them and feeling more content and happier that he could remember himself to ever be.

She sighed and a little bit of worry sneaked its way into his thoughts.

"Are you alright, Miss Granger?"

"I would be, if you stopped calling me 'Miss Granger'..." came her quiet and obviously tired reply.

"How should I call you then?"

"Hermione, perhaps?"

"Will you call me Severus in return?"

"I will, if you want me to. Severus."

"We have a deal in that case, Hermione."

"Severus?"

"Hm?"

"I am pregnant."

* * *

* _"Everything is going to be fine. Just wait here and don't go anywhere. Help will come."_

* * *

 _A cliffhanger - I am so sorry, guys!_

 _With this chapter out, I officially ran out of all stored material so I have no idea when the next one will be published as it is still far from done. I will do my best to finish it as soon as possible though, I promise!_

 _I can't wait to hear your thoughts about this one!_


	59. Chapter 59

_Hello, guys!_

 _Sorry to make you wait for this one for so long! As a compensation, it is a really big one - the longest I have written yet! - I hope you will like it!_

 _ _Thank you for being here!__

* * *

CHAPTER 59

Snape had been behaving strangely for the past few days - whether it was because of his recent near death experience or out of his unexpected gratefulness for saving his life, she had no idea. Yet it was clear that he was acting differently; towards her, at least. No sneers, no acid sarcasm, no nasty comments, all in all making him appear quite agreeable and decent to her even.

Admittedly, it was probably rather normal for a teacher to behave differently in a class full of mostly inept and potentially lethal kids, same as he could likely not act quite like himself in the Fortress either but she somehow expected him to revert to his coldness and not noticing her at all when given the chance, much in the way of the first two weeks before she had escaped from Hogwarts. But he hadn't.

Not only did he keep returning to the house regularly every evening to cook and then eat dinner with her, trying to maintain a rather friendly conversation while he was at it, but he even seemed willing to cooperate at repairing the house, using his admirable magical abilities to remake it into a building worth living in. Some of it still confused her quite a lot - like why he hadn't done it before when he was obviously more than capable of that or why did he seem to be reluctant to be alone in the ancient cellar; wasn't he spending most of his time in dungeons?! - but he was always only shaking his head at her when faced with her questioning looks, obviously not wanting to explain any of it. Overall, he seemed to be rather uneasy during the first days while working with her - maybe ashamed of himself for the destruction that he had inflicted upon the poor innocent house? - and she tried to make it easier for him by praising him occasionally - and deservedly! - for the more exacting bits of magic that he had to do since she was not able to. He was doing it for her after all; he hardly needed the house to be inhabitable for himself, did he?

For some reason, her words of approval always made him mutter something to himself and look away but, nevertheless, she got the impression that it made him happy too although he did not want to show it openly. He had obviously some serious issues with accepting thanks and compliments. Still, she had caught him a few times as he was glancing her way just after finishing something he considered well done and worth her notice, a somewhat expectant look in his face.

 _Men could really behave like fools at times..._

Curiously enough, he never seemed to hurry to go back home these days, usually spending as much as five or six hours a day with her and without any complaints doing even the mundane chores like cooking, cleaning and repairing. Furthermore, she knew he had been returning to the house after she retired to bed just about every night to simply sit there with her while she slept - or pretended to sleep - and it puzzled her to no end. Why was he doing that? He could surely use the time to rest or work at least instead of spending hours to sit in the darkness, mostly unmoving. Maybe it was helping him to relax and think for some reason... But why couldn't he do that at home?

Perhaps he was having some problems with his wife or girlfriend that were driving him out?

Still, he obviously did not want to discuss them, even as she had offered her own desperate story from where she was roaming Britain - in the end omitting only the shameful bit about nearly being raped as she was faced with his quiet and patient look while he was listening to her attentively, never interrupting or asking anything stupid as Harry and Ron often tended to do whenever she had tried to tell them anything from her past.

The man could certainly be a rather good friend to anyone; if only due to his sheer capacity to listen. Had he actually tried to make some friends, of course...

* * *

Hermione was blindfolded and bent against a cold stone wall, her wrists chained and her whole naked body immobilized. The Rape Room.

She started hyperventilating then, the cape around her head obstructing her breathing and not allowing enough oxygen in.

A warm hand stroke her back lightly.

 _Snape. It was just Snape. It could be no one else..._

She would make it. She always had.

Bracing herself against the wall, she closed her eyes, preparing for him to take her.

He did, pushing himself into her. She was about to scream in pain but it never came; there was only the sensation of being filled and warmed up down there. She could feel him holding her by her hips while thrusting into her in a regular rhythm.

And it felt good, even in the uncomfortable position she was in.

She moaned into the cape and heard his labored breath behind her.

He pressed her to himself firmly then and after a few minutes she felt him filling her with his semen as he came. She had to stop herself from sighing in disappointment.

There was something seriously wrong with her today.

"Well done, my friend. I see some excellent training skills there; you have made the slut enjoy this quite a lot," Voldemort's voice hissed seemingly only a few inches from her and she froze in fear.

"Thank you, my Lord." Snape's voice, deep and cold.

"Fortunately, it won't be needed any more for you to suffer through it with this filthy Mudblood as I see you have fulfilled your task already..." Voldemort said and a cold hand with sharp nails landed on her belly, stroking it nearly lovingly. Her rather big belly as she realized now with a start.

"You are dismissed; go and find another one that you will actually like the look of this time, I will take care of this from now on," the man continued, his clawed hand still on her skin.

"Yes, my Lord."

The sound of retreating footsteps.

"Well, well... What do we have in here? Let's have a look.." Voldemort whispered and she felt him go behind her and place both his hands on her stomach. Then his nails dug into her skin and tore open her belly, his hands groping around in it until he grabbed something and pulled it out.

That something began crying pitifully even as she kept screaming in agony.

Voldemort's unhinged and happy laughter filled her ears.

She woke covered with sweat and still screaming, her hands clutching at her belly. Her flat, unharmed belly.

Her eyes immediately strayed to the armchair that Snape tended to occupy; luckily it was empty already as the fresh morning light poured in from the now clean and repaired windows.

 _Damn, that was a horrible dream._

Still breathing hard, she examined her belly once more just to make sure it was indeed not real; the dream felt so very credible!

Guiltily, she then reached in between her legs to find out that she was rather wet even there.

 _Merlin!_

Collecting her wand, she set off to the bathroom to wash away any proof that this had happened. _This shouldn't have happened..._

Still, she could not stop thinking about it.

To be honest with herself she had to admit that it was far from being the first erotic dream that she had ever had. There had been two before only this week - one with an anonymous and faceless man stroking and fondling her while she slept, the second where she was doing that herself. But they never featured Snape - at least not the enjoyable ones. She had never liked it in her nightmares at least...

The logical answer would be that she felt guilty over having liked it with the man after all that had happened and now it all blended together in her head, forming that strange and creepy projection of enjoying to be raped. And the baby part...

She glanced down at her belly again even while she was still thoroughly washing herself of all the sweat and... _that..._ and frowned at it doubtfully. There really was a chance she was pregnant without knowing anything about it yet.

Damn, she was sure the idea would eat at her until she cast the spell to see for herself. She knew the incantation; it was in one of Snape's medical books...

Drying herself quickly, she took her wand and pointed it at her belly, fully expecting this to bring some peace to her mind at least. Until the light flashed in front of her and her heart skipped a beat and then another two.

 _Shit._

Recasting the spell, the result was still the same. Positive.

Her mind got totally blank, no registering anything besides the green color in her shock.

 _Green. A baby. It was green. She is expecting a baby._

 _A BABY!_

Her knees gave up under her and she sunk down to the ground, clutching her legs to herself on the slightly wet and newly tiled floor.

Staring straight ahead of herself with her eyes too big to be closed, the first panicked thoughts and images started to arrive. Snape, furious like hell over this, yelling at her and telling her she was just complicating everything and that it was all her fault. Her pregnant body ugly, clumsy, swollen and fat, while she was stuck alone in an empty house. The nausea, the pain and the constant aches that any pregnancy caused inevitably. Voldemort, happy and laughing at learning about this, same as he had been in her dream...

Maybe it would be better to... _end..._ it before it came to all that. No one would know, it was way too soon to show visibly yet. It would take only one simple painless spell; it was really much easier that it should have been.

 _No one would know._

She pointed the wand at her belly again, her hand shaking.

 _No one would know!_

Except for her.

Her eyes brimmed with tears then and she threw the wand away in her helpless desperation, crying aloud.

Damn, she couldn't live with that; killing a baby, even if it was only a few days old, just because it was inopportune at that moment. Just because she was scared... Just because its father was who he was. It was still HER baby too. It was inside of _her,_ defenseless, unaware and so small...

It was probably simply meant to be when it had happened. It would have probably happened eventually anyway in the year to come... _And she would not have to sleep with him any more, that was certainly a plus, wasn't it?_

Wiping the tears away from her face resolutely, she breathed in deeply to calm herself. There were worse things in the world - dying, for example. _Or killing an innocent kid_ , she sniffled again at that thought. A baby was just that - a baby... _There is still time to think of what to do with it when it comes._

The hard part today would be just telling Snape.

She had no idea how to do that.

 _Damn..._

* * *

Pacing around the hall and full of restless energy, she looked at the clock for about a hundredth time in five minutes. It was eleven and he hadn't showed up yet, reducing her to one big knot of nerves..

Maybe he knew what she had discovered, using something to spy on her while she was in the bathroom, and decided to ignore her. Or abandon her altogether, never going to visit again, either from being angry at her or feeling he had done what he was supposed to and leaving the rest of it on her...

But she had to talk to him about this. She HAD TO, even as she still did not know what to say. It was his baby too...

Huffing indignantly to herself, she took some of the Floo powder and threw it into the fireplace, making it flare green. _Green like the spell this morning..._

He was going to be even more furious at her now for disturbing him and showing up at Hogwarts again for - in his opinion surely - no good reason. But she had to. She would go crazy if she did not tell anyone about this...

Stepping into the fireplace resolutely, she braced herself for the shock and annoyance she would be faced with at her destination.

Yet, there was only a totally silent, empty and dark room. He was away. Working on something. Brewing in his lab. Or at home, sleeping or making love to his wife to reconcile with her...

She was just about to turn around and go back when she heard a quiet rustle of fabric from one of the corners. It was Snape, hunched in an armchair, watching her silently as if he were hiding from her and she startled at that. She made a few nervous steps towards him to cover up her unease.

"Why have you come?" he asked, cold and unfriendly and it made her stop. This was obviously not the best time to tell him. Or maybe he knew already...

"I was... worried about you when you didn't show up tonight," she said, half truthfully. She was certainly worried now. Something was not right...

"I am fine. You can go back now. Good night," he slurred and she caught a whiff of some alcohol. And smoke that did not come from brewing. Damn, there was the stink of blood too now that she had focused on it...

He was wearing his Death Eater robes still, she noticed only now in the darkness, his mask deposited on the small table behind the armchair.

He had been summoned then, that's probably why he hadn't come. And injured too... Her heart started beating faster.

"You don't look fine to me. I can smell blood. And alcohol too," she told him, confused until she realized that he could not take any pain killers so he had probably resorted to drinking to dull the pain from his injuries.

Why hadn't he healed himself instead then? Or called Pomfrey? Or come to her? _The fool..._

"What happened?" she asked him when he had not elaborated on his own and got work, not asking for any permission. This was probably her fault, at least partially; it was her who had disabled him from using his usual set of potions to heal himself. She would fix as much as she could now at least...

"Was it Voldemort?" she guessed when he did not answer again, his body rigid and stiff even as she began repairing some of the damage on his bloodied hand. He flinched and she nearly let go of it. It had to hurt; she had to be gentler, damn...

He did not tell her off though, only shook his head in response to her question.

"Who did it then? Another Death Eater?" she asked then the next most logical thing and tried to fix his concussion and the big bloody bump on his head.

He exhaled audibly at that. She really had to be more careful while treating him when she could not give him anything for the pain...

"It was the Order," he told her finally, his voice tired and weak.

 _ORDER? What?_ Why would the Order reduce him to this bloody mess? Wasn't he helping them?

Still, it was quite clear that he would be fighting them from time to time, playing the role that he had. He was probably ordered to. She just hoped he did not kill anyone...

Yet, he would probably tell her if he had; he hadn't seemed to have troubles with admitting that before. Plus he did not look like he had won anything today...

So she just continued healing the deep gashes on his neck to stop the worst bleeding. Her friends really knew how to cast the Cutting Curse much better than she had...

"Miss Granger, I am not the person you obviously think I am. I have done a lot of bad things," he told her then, the alcohol probably speaking for him; she knew that, of course, there was no need to tell her... Some of the bad things were done TO HER in the first place, weren't they? He was probably compelled to do a lot more to maintain his cover, she was not deluding herself about that... Maybe he even liked doing some of it; he really wasn't the nicest person on Earth by far...

"I got Potter and Weasley out of the fortress," he told her then as if it was nothing and her eyes widened.

"You did?! Did you really manage to set them free? Are they alive and safe?" she exclaimed then, suddenly happy beyond words and not knowing or caring how her hands got to be wrapped around his neck now.

He nodded to confirm his words, obviously serious about them.

 _He did it! He got them out! He saved them all! Even when it got him beaten up like this! No one else would be possibly able to do that! He WAS the BEST man in the world, nice or not!_

Without thinking, she pressed her lips onto his, some urge forcing her to try to transfer some of her joy and happiness to him too, making him wake up from the strange stupor he seemed to be in.

 _The ultimate Prince Charming indeed_ , she thought of herself then and nearly laughed aloud.

 _Everything is going to be fine. The boys are free. Everything else is just a minor problem..._

Finally, he seemed to rouse himself and his mouth opened slightly. She slipped her tongue in instinctively, exploring his mouth curiously for the first time and still overwhelmed with joy.

He kissed her back then.

It was unlike any kiss she had ever received.

Not aggressively demanding like Victor tended to be. Not disgustingly wet and forceful like Cormac. Not clumsy and nervous like Ben, the Muggle boy she had dated shortly over the holidays two years ago. And far from the chaste pecks Ron would give her, blushing.

It was just... accepting, as much as giving. Manly and mature but still tender. Sensual. Unhurried.

And he tasted great, even with the strong flavor of Firewhiskey added to it. It made her unable to stop even as the 'wake up and share my joy' character of the kiss slowly changed into something else entirely.

She felt something big and hard press into her thigh that was now positioned in between his legs, demanding her attention, and she unconsciously reached down to touch it.

He wanted her obviously even as it was only Saturday... But she knew alcohol tended to do that to people, making them sleep with partners they would never select while sober and thinking straight...

 _Damn._

Was it true what they said that it hurt the man when he got aroused and then there was nothing happening afterwards? The thought got chased from her mind quickly though as he gasped and his kiss became more intense. Maybe she shouldn't have touched him like that down there. Maybe she shouldn't have kissed him in the first place if she didn't want this to happen.

But maybe she actually wanted something to happen now. Maybe it would make her forget for a little while, release the insufferable nervous tension that got pilled up in her today. It would be for the last time anyway... For once with no need to fear getting pregnant as she already was expecting. They wouldn't do it any more when it was unnecessary for the Bond. But now he didn't know that. Not yet...

Besides, that was what people were often doing during wars, wasn't it? Seize the day as they knew that the next one might never come. That's why Fleur and Bill got married this year. That was why the Potters got married so quickly after graduating... _This was just sex. Inconsequential. No need to talk about it tomorrow. Carpe diem..._

Furthermore, it was nice to be that close to someone. To feel wanted and desirable again - even when it was by a drunk man - before she would get all fat and ugly...

Climbing on the armchair, she straddled him and pressed herself closer to feel his hard body better against hers and he responded by wrapping his hands around her waist; she obviously needed the comfort as much as he did after the day they both had had...

It didn't take long for his kiss and touches to make her want to feel the comfort somewhere else too; she felt herself uncomfortably wet in her panties and there was that strange tickling and emptiness too again. Her whole body was itching, longing to be touched and stroked and she pressed herself to him tighter to let him know. To make him do something with it and help her.

He seemed to get it, fortunately, and lifted her seemingly with no effort to carry her somewhere else - preferably somewhere where he would finally do something. She didn't particularly care where it was, as long as they were alone...

She was deposited on something soft - a bed probably - that smelled of him; the smoke, the herbs... Breaking the kiss, he looked her in the eye, his face unusually flushed either from the alcohol or exertion. Maybe both.

"Are you sure about this? You don't have to..." he told her breathily as if he did not know that she actually HAD to do it now. This was probably not having the same effect on him as it was on her...

She nodded resolutely in answer and pulled him to herself again to resume their kiss and indicate exactly what she was sure about. He yielded to her but still, he was only kissing her back in that considerate way of his that served just to intensify the endless torture in between her legs which had begun to get rather unbearable by now.

Losing her patience with him, she tried to unbutton his shirt to make him do something finally to help her with it - he knew what and how to do that so why hadn't he already, for Merlin's sake?!

He removed the shirt eventually, same as he did the rest of his clothes after some excruciatingly long minutes and she used it to touch him and compel him into action finally; still, not even her stroking his penis had managed that and she was growing really desperate by that time.

Was the alcohol affecting him on some invisible level? He seemed physically more than ready... So did he have to choose today to try to abstain and be faithful to his wife? It was surely way too late for that... Or was she that repulsing already? She was quite sure the pregnancy was not showing yet and he had not appeared to have troubles before... Unless he had promised himself - as much as he had to her - not to do that till it was absolutely necessary.

Damn, maybe he planned to prolong this to Sunday so he would spare himself a day! Not caring she would explode with tension by that time!

The thought was the last drop for her; she would not let him get away with that! She was not even beyond coercing him into action now!

Exasperated, rather angry at him for making her feel like this, impatient and aching with need, she pushed him onto his back and did what _he_ was supposed to do, undressing herself quickly - hopefully it would make him touch her at last! - and climbing on top of him the way she had a week ago. _She could do it - almost! - by herself if he is not up to anything. If he has some troubles with that, he has had time enough to say it and complain before!_

Bending down to kiss him again, she sighed in relief as she felt him resolving to touching her. _At LONG last!_ She was all tingling with anticipation and his hands on her were finally doing what they were supposed to! Ultimately, he strayed to the place where she was aching the most and she moaned into his mouth, not particularly caring about the awkward sound as long as it would prod him into doing something about the hollowness and longing that had accumulated down there.

Fortunately, he seemed to get the message, reluctant as he had been, and she felt his penis touch her thighs in an attempt to join them. She was more than happy to oblige and guided him inside of herself with only a light push of her hand in the right direction.

The relief was instantaneous. As soon as he slid into her, shivering pleasure coated her body and she moaned again, her eyes closed so she could better focus on the sensations that only being filled and touched like that could provide to her at that moment.

Damn, now she knew what all the fuss with sex was about. It really was a physical need as much as food was; she also knew now what being hungry did to people. This urge felt even worse in a way...

She started to move her hips even as she was still kissing him, finding the right pace and angle much sooner this time. His hands never left her skin, stroking her gently and making her feel unexpectedly safe as they were all but wrapped around each other.

After a few minutes, it began to feel like it was somewhat insufficient though, her body prodding her to get more of it, to move quicker and try to increase the frequency with which he was sending all those pleasurable waves around her body. So she sat up, bracing herself against his firm chest which gave her more freedom and space to move. The new angle at which he was impaled in her now was creating a wholly new form of excitement in her. Her lower belly began seizing and constricting at that and she moaned.

The sound was so alike the one she had made in her dream that day that it made her stop though. She could hear Voldemort laughing in her head again.

 _'Well done, my friend. I see some excellent training skills there; you have made the slut enjoy this quite a lot,'_ his voice resounded in her mind once more and she cringed at that.

Damn, she was not supposed to enjoy this. Not after all that had happened. Not with this man. It was betraying all those poor girls that were still locked up in the cell back at the Fortress...

She was just about to try and stop this when he was obviously tired of waiting and flipped her over with him still inside of her, laying her gently on her back and kissing her again. Kissing her with such a need and tenderness that it took her breath away, chasing all coherent thoughts out of her head. Still thrusting into her steadily, she felt him reaching to massage her clitoris, applying just the right pressure on it as he was circling it with his fingers. And she exploded, not able to hold it in any more, from inside as much as from outside of her there was just the powerful and blinding relief that washed everything away, all the tension, insecurity, worries and fear that had gnawed at her today, leaving her limp and flabby like a rag doll.

She couldn't move a finger for lack of any energy, absolutely spent yet so very content and calm...

Opening her eyes, she saw him watching her from close up, still a bit breathy and his face only inches from hers. It didn't even make her feel nervous for some strange reason. Especially as he smiled back at her the next second.

He had probably enjoyed this too.

This had been totally worth it, even if it would make her feel like that only for a minute more. She feared nothing anymore. Everything would be fine. She would just tell him now, nothing bad could happen while she felt like this...

He lifted his body to remove himself from her then and she sighed at the emptiness and lack of warmth even as she noticed the hot liquid leak out of her. _So he DID enjoy this too..._

"Are you alright, Miss Granger?" he asked her, his voice worried. Of course, Miss Granger was alright. Too much so maybe.

Always _Miss Granger_... Like she was still in class with him, even after all they had done today. Would he give her an 'O' now?

And what about the kid? Hearing its parents call each other 'Snape' and 'Miss Granger'...

"I would be, if you stopped calling me 'Miss Granger'..." she told him, not particularly caring if she sounded a bit cheeky.

"How should I call you then?" he inquired, his voice even and tired, same as hers was.

"Hermione, perhaps?" she offered.

"Will you call me Severus in return?"

 _Damn, that would feel strange. Still, it was probably time to. And better than calling him 'daddy'..._

"I will, if you want me to. Severus."

"We have a deal in that case, Hermione."

There was a few seconds of silence. It was time to tell him though, before she loses all this clearness and balance of mind.

"Severus?" she addressed him to get back his full attention.

"Hm?"

"I am pregnant," she told him simply, relief flooding her. It was out finally...

His eyes snapped open wide in pure shock at the simple sentence and he sat up abruptly, watching her with strange intensity.

"Are you serious this time?" he asked, making her blush.

She nodded, her eyes not leaving his and trying to decipher his feelings about this. It was not like she expected him to start squealing in delight about this; it was probably her only luck to decide to tell him after sex when men were at their most agreeable. At least he had not started yelling at her yet... Still, there was something strange about his expression, even in the dim light. Was it only the surprise and shock? Also fear, she guessed, although she had never seen him betraying such an emotion too openly. And... something a bit like hope too? Was it even possible? Yet he managed to precede her in asking.

"How do you feel about it? What do you want to do?" he inquired quietly, his eyes still impossibly big.

"Keep it," she said, sitting up too and wrapping herself in one of the duvets to cover her still naked body. If they were to fight about this, she would surely feel better and less vulnerable if dressed a bit.

He didn't say anything for a while though.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

She nodded again. Yes, she was. She knew it would difficult but the only alternative was even more so; she could not kill a baby, her own much less so... Nor she would let anyone do it instead.

She looked up at him, unsure and cautious about his tendency to violent reactions while he was stressed and expecting him to say something mean now at the very least.

Neither happened though. He only stared at her, his expression blank and unreadable. She was used to that; it was much better than yelling anyway...

"So... when are you leaving?" he inquired quietly, not looking at her and causing her to gape at him in shock.

"Leaving?" she asked, fear biting into her heart. So he really wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible? Replace her with another? Go back to his wife? She had to blink a few times to chase away the stinging in her eyes.

He seemed somewhat confused at her question.

"I supposed that with Potter and Weasley free, you would want to rejoin them. And with the baby on the way, we don't even have to meet and do this any more... You don't have to stay with me any longer," he told her, making her thoughts stop. She hadn't considered this at all yet but still she could not even begin to imagine going and telling Harry and Ron what had happened to her. Could not face them at all now, blaming her for their imprisonment as they would be for sure. Could not explain her soon to be growing belly to them... And could not endanger the baby by hunting the Horcruxes. Damn, even Snape... Severus would be in deep trouble if she was discovered missing from the house which was quite possible with the guards watching it all the time... Not to mention if she would be captured again!

"I don't think it's wise to leave. I... I would rather stay. If you would keep me," she told him, unsure. She looked up from her lap finally and was rather shocked by what she saw.

He was smiling at her, his eyes alive and twinkling much like Dumbledore's used to be.

"Sure, I would," he told her and she could not fight her own smile while faced with this unexpected warmth from him.

Obviously, the already HAD managed this. The arrangement WAS working when he was willing to let her stay...

"How can I help?" he asked after a few moments, gesturing towards her belly and uncharacteristically hesitant and shy.

Well, she didn't expect that question. And didn't know the answer either. What could a man do to help a pregnant woman? Do the dishes for her? He was doing that already. Carry her bag for her? She never got out of the house... Still, he expected her to answer obviously.

"I... don't know. I have only little idea of what to expect... I discovered it only this morning," she admitted to him, blushing.

"We will see about that then, I expect," he told her, a thoughtful expression settling into his face.

"On that note; if you really plan to stay, we have a little problem there. I have already sent Longbottom after the two idiots-" She shot him a mean look which he gracefully ignored. "But all I was hoping for was him to keep them alive, being the only one with some basic sense of self-preservation. He has no brains to assist them in discovering the Horcruxes, let alone destroy them..." he broke off, frowning.

Her heart froze at that; she hadn't really had the time to think this through. The boys really needed all the help they could get, there was no time or place to keep anyone safe - even if it was a baby - when the war was on...

He seemed to notice her troubled look and addressed her again, his voice soothing.

"Don't worry about them. We will help them, both of us, unnoticed if you wish to," he said encouragingly and she smiled at him for that. He had always accomplished whatever he had promised so far...

"For now, tell me all you know about Horcruxes; every single detail you remember from what Dumbledore told you, every theory you have come up with," he appealed to her, his eyes sharp and acute.

She took a deep breath.

This would be a long night...

* * *

 _Thank you all for reading and leaving a review - perhaps? Please? - it really does wonders to my motivation!_

 _Again, I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, only that it's going to be Severus' POV :-)_

 _Love you all :-*_


	60. Chapter 60

_This one turned out quite short - I will try to make it up to you the next chance I get :-)_

 _Dedicated to **Riptiderobin21** whose review was the last drop that made me finish and publish this today!_

* * *

CHAPTER 60

Severus was sitting in the library and staring at Hermione's sleeping form in the darkness of the room, still in shock in spite of trying to cover as much of it from her as he possibly could. Damn, childish as it was, he could not even refrain from pinching himself a few times just to make sure he was not imagining things again.

 _Nothing gave any sense. It all was too unreal. Imaginary. Impossible..._

The most confusing part by far was certainly her behavior towards him today; she had known she was pregnant already so why did she want to have sex with him, for Merlin's sake?! Was she really that grateful to him for releasing the two brats? But that was completely unnecessary when he had already promised her to do that... It was certainly not out of any attraction to him either; she was not sick and surely sane enough to see how ugly he was, repaired face or not...

Or had she deluded herself and thought that she actually needed him for something still - when it was in fact quite the other way around - and wanted to win his support over with that, bribing him? Well, if she had been, it was working splendidly. Yet, he would do just about anything for her, sex or not... He had yet to refuse her a single request since she had moved in to live with him so she surely knew that...

Maybe she just got carried away, picturing him to be someone else? The Weasley boy, maybe? He had noticed her looking his way longingly even when she had been still at school... That thought made his chest flare with insecure tension. Well, it was clear she would trade him for just about anybody if given the chance, there was no reason to want to kill the boy so much right now, was it?

Perhaps he was simply overthinking it and it was just the pregnancy hormones driving her - as far as he knew, women tended to get quite sensitive and horny for no reason in the early stages of their gravidity. That's maybe also why she had been so nice to him recently...

 _Maybe she would want to have sex with him again because of that at some point_ , he caught himself hoping and squelched that thought forcefully, angry at himself. _Fuck, this was not the right time to get himself a boner over such a selfish and improbable fantasy. She was too good to him already..._

Not only was she not mad at him for not telling her earlier about Potter and Weasley's newly acquitted freedom - only looking at him with one eyebrow curiously raised while she pieced that together - but she actually wanted to stay with him even as she was now aware of that, trading the relative safety of their house for her full autonomy.

There was no need to fool himself though; he knew very well that neither would happen if not for the baby.

 _Fuck, he was really lucky._

 _Lucky..._

Shit, they had probably conceived the kid when he was lucky, a week ago, the frigging potion knowing even back then that this would be what would save him from having to end his life eventually. Doing that only a week after doping her with a fertility potion had been bound to lead to consequences. The pregnancy should not have really surprised him at all, all things considered.

 _A baby..._

 _Merlin's hairy balls._

This beautiful woman was now carrying his child. A child she did not want but had decided to keep and give birth to, solely out of her good heart and pure soul that had not permitted her to end the pregnancy magically. She was so very brave and strong...

And he, the bastard, was happy about it. Actually happy. Happy about destroying her life, forcing her to stay with him and go through all that was ahead of her now. Making her become a mother against her will, a fact that cannot be changed, ever. _He was such a selfish fucker!_

Sure, he was scared as shit too, having no idea of how to be - or try to be - a father and fearing he would end up acting as his own father had to him even as he was quite certain he would never even get the chance to see the kid at all; he was vulnerable in his position in the Death Eater ranks as much as everyone and without being able to use most of his potions after being punished, he was rather sure than one day he would simply not make it home to her. Plus he stood even a bigger chance to get killed by the Order, the 'Light', as they called themselves, while trying to help the morons; especially in the highly unlikely case that they would actually win the war.

Still, he must not leave this world without doing all in his power to make it better for her and for the kid. He had to try to be useful to her - now at least - when he had already fucked this up so much...

Shit, he had to get rid of the Big Bastard, as soon as possible, with the Potter brat or without. Before the baby would be born - necessarily - so it could be safer. So it wouldn't be stolen by the monster.

Fortunately, with everything that she had told him today, he now knew where to begin.

Inhaling deeply, her grabbed the handles of the armchair to prop himself and stand up, his eyes never leaving her sleeping body and trying to burn the lovely image into his brain and retinas to stay with him for the rest of the night. It was time to leave even as he did not want to. _It was time to stop being selfish and do something for her... for them... finally..._

* * *

 _So here were Snape's thoughts that you have been asking about!_

 _The next one will be told by Hermione, longer and with a bit more happening in it :-)_

 _Thank you so much for your support, guys, you are the best!_


	61. Chapter 61

_To **BarbaraLM** (again) for both being the author of the 500th review of this story and making me feel something awesome every time I read her messages and comments!_

 _Also sorry to all of you guys who have reviewed and didn't get my answer - I don't feel that well these days and chose to spend the time when its better with finishing this chapter to not make you wait any longer. Hope you will forgive me!  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 61

Hermione was sorting through all the dust covered old stuff in one of the two smaller bedrooms in the house that still needed to be tidied up, still smiling from when she had remembered her breakfast that day; Sn-... Severus now had taken to preparing that for her too, leaving the tray just next to her sofa so she could eat it, fresh and warm, as soon as she woke up.

At first, she tried to argue with him over that being unnecessary and too time consuming for him but he simply would not listen, claiming that the food prepared by a wizard - unlike the sort that House Elves would make, using their magic - was better for the baby. Initially, she thought it was just an excuse so he could cook for her and be praised - both of which he seemed to enjoy, inexplicably - but then he had started to explain while still bent over her soon to be dinner yesterday; firstly about the magic being transferred to the food in the same way as it was to the ingredients while brewing potions, pointing out that Muggles could not do it even if they would do everything exactly the same as a witch or a wizard, secondly about various ancient magical families that got extinct - or near to extinct - because they got too dependent on the House Elves, naming even the Malfoys, Lestranges and Bulstrodes as examples for they had only managed to have one child per a couple for centuries, and thirdly about the Weasleys who were as old and magical as the others but still always too poor to afford a House Elf, therefore cooking mostly all for themselves by themselves.

All in all, it left her with no arguments to fight against the care that she was currently offered - him cooking all her meals for her now. But today was something special still; aside from two bowls of oatmeal with cream and various kinds of fruit, one labeled "For you" and the second, smaller, "For the little one", a big glass of freshly pressed juice and another of milk, there was an unobtrusive and simple vase with a single flower in it on the tray. A daisy, one of her favorites.

She didn't know why exactly it made her so happy but for some reason it did; maybe it was because of the fact that she had never got many flowers before, usually just for her birthdays from her parents. Besides, this gesture was so... discreet and thoughtful at the same time, even when it was serving most likely only as decoration to make the food look better.

Anyway, the thought of the simple plant made her smile even as she had removed all the layers of dust from the old boxes that had been piled haphazardly over each other in the crammed room, sorting through them all and throwing the vast majority of it away as soon as she only glimpsed the content. They had decided to remake the room into a storage so they would be well supplied for brewing in the new potion lab that had been created instead of the depressive mess that used to be the cellar.

Fully expecting to find yet another collection of old Muggle newspapers or smelly threadbare clothes, she just about pronounced the _'Evanesco'_ again when she noticed the face on this old front page was moving. It was an old issue of Potions Weekly with a big title of 'The Youngest Potion Master of the Century'.

It was him for sure - his nose already broken several times and his teeth somewhat crooked but about fifteen years younger, his eyes bright and, for lack of a better word, happy as he was holding the parchment that was most likely a degree for gaining the Mastery. He was about as old as she was now; still, for all the similarities, he looked like a different person altogether, next to no wrinkles and no dark circles under his eyes that made him look so tired and macabre all the time nowadays.

Intrigued, she lifted the magazine to inspect the picture closely and read the article; it was describing the man as some sort of a genius, naturally gifted and unprecedentedly creative. Nothing new really, when she thought of that...

About to put the old issue away to store it for him - and maybe talk about it with him for a bit today, just to see what he would say to that - she moved to vanish the rest of the contents when she noticed with a slight start that the magazine was far from the only memento of Severus that the box held. There was, curiously enough, a tarnished silver jingle bell and a pile of old photos, both Muggle and magical, of him at various ages; mostly alone, scowling, lurking in the shadows and hardly visible, sometimes with a woman who he resembled a bit with his features, dark hair and pale complexion - was it his mother? - and two of them with a small red haired girl about his age; those were the only ones where he was smiling openly as he was standing protectively behind her in the first photo or reading something to her from an old book in the second picture. Hermione had no idea who the girl was; there were no newer photos of them where they would be recognizable - she would probably not recognize even the boy if there were not the transition pictures of him being older...

 _Maybe it was his future wife? He certainly looked like he cared about her a lot... But then, why would he store such a picture in a house that he had only recently bought for her?_

Frowning with concentration, she focused on the one where he was reading to the girl. In an old armchair next to a sofa. A very familiar sofa and armchair in a dimly lit library...

 _Bollocks._

The picture had to be taken here, in the very room that she kept sleeping in.

Meaning this house had NOT been bought to accommodate her at all; it was where he had grown up. Where his parents had lived probably...

Damn, it really did not look like he had had a very nice childhood in here... That was probably why he had not cared for the house at all even when he was able to. That was probably also why he kept leaving it and preferred sleeping somewhere else instead when he was not keeping vigil over her at night.

Merlin, maybe he did not even have any other house and slept in his quarters at Hogwarts that she had... _visited..._ a few days ago. The bed smelled of him only and strongly enough for it to be used just about every day... That would also mean there was no wife or girlfriend that he would share his living space with; if he had someone else, he was probably just visiting the woman at her place or taking her out... Maybe the woman had red hair...

She knew he loved a woman - she had seen it well enough on him that he was capable of caring about someone deeply - and it was strange for the anonymous image of the girl to get a shape now. And she felt... some kind of unease about it, knowing the girl had been cheated on because of her. Knowing he was about to be a father for a kid that hadn't been conceived with the woman he truly loved. It was probably only his strong sense of responsibility that had kept him at her side, slowly destroying the relationship that he had with the other one...

Feeling guilty - and also a bit jealous of the girl for having someone to love her so much, she had to admit - she put the pictures away. Damn, she could not continue in living like this in any case, letting herself be pampered like she was and keeping him with her for such long periods of time, ruining a surely loving relationship by her and the baby's mere existence...

 _She has to talk about this to him the first chance she gets, awkward as it is bound to become..._

 _Bollocks..._

* * *

He arrived a bit later than usual that evening - at half past eight - wearing his Death Eater robes still and looking grim, tired and troubled. He also had yet to look her in the eyes even, only murmuring a quiet "Hello" to her at entering the kitchen and then he immediately went to prepare the dinner for her, making her feel a bit irresponsible as she had not even thought about starting that herself.

 _Something was obviously bothering him today... Did he have a row with his girlfriend? Or was it something with Voldemort? He didn't look injured this time at least..._

She joined him silently, rather worried about his countenance, helping him to wash and prepare the vegetables and observing him by the corner of her eye. He was frowning, his expression closed up even as his movements were as confident and precise as ever.

She took a deep breath.

"Is something the matter?" she asked evenly, not wanting to press him but hoping he would answer.

He did not say anything, just shook his head slightly. So it was probably something with his girlfriend - he never wanted to discuss that with her, understandably.

 _Damn, she is really ruining things for him_ , she thought guiltily and tried to focus on her work to make the unpleasant pressure in her chest go away. It was not working that well.

Only when they had both finished eating did she find the confidence to prod him again, his persistent taciturnity and desolate expression making her reach out across the table and place her hand over his in a hopefully reassuring way.

He flinched a bit but didn't break the contact, only staring at their touching hands, somewhat perplexed and startled.

 _Well, at least she managed to divert his attention from whatever was bothering him; some of the sadness was certainly gone now..._

Their eyes met just as she was drawing her breath to ask again and it silenced her immediately. She really had no idea where this depth came from suddenly but for once his look was not closed at all to her and she was rather shaken by the snarl of emotion that it displayed. Yet she could not even start to try to decipher it when he sighed and spoke up finally, his voice deep and quiet.

"Bellatrix Lestrange gave birth to a baby this week. It's the Dark Lord's," he told her, looking away.

 _WHAT?!_

She was really not expecting that. She hadn't known they were together in the first place even. Damn, she hadn't known that Voldemort could even have sex with someone, let alone a baby!

She stared ahead of herself, unmoving and trying to guess what this piece of information could mean for the war.

"It's a girl," he added, even quieter and probably more for himself than for her. Still, it changed the flow of her thoughts considerably.

A girl! A little baby girl! Merlin, it was just a baby, no matter whose. Babies were not their parents and it was not like there was another Dark Lord - or Lady - rising right now. And surely it was not like anyone could blame Severus for it; there was no reason to behave like that because of something he could hardly change, was there?

"I don't see how that is your fault," she told him, and stroke his hand with one of her fingers soothingly.

"I haven't told the Order yet. Even as I knew the baby was expected for some time now," he answered, withdrawing his hand from beneath hers and crossing it with his other one over his chest.

"Why not?" she asked, confused at that.

"I am not sure it's the right thing to do," he said tiredly. At her questioning look he elaborated "I don't want to start a witch-hunt, quite literally. They would never let it be if they find out. Understandably even; the girl is the direct biological descendant of two of the darkest and most ancient families in the Wizarding world. If anything ever happens to Draco Malfoy - which is quite possible with the situation being as it is - the baby is then the only heir to the Gaunts, Lestranges, Blacks and Malfoys even... She will be the richest and most powerful witch in Britain only by her birth status."

She frowned again at that; it was something she hadn't considered yet. Still, her bloodline and parentage should not be a reason to judge the baby now to a life-long prejudice and persecution. And, honestly, that is exactly what would have happened if the Light would both win the war and find out about the girl's existence even as it would be surely done with the best intentions...

"I think you did well to not tell anyone yet. The baby girl deserves some chance to be left alone and make her own choices; we are not our parents," she told him, shrugging her shoulders at not being able to explain better and watching her hand that was still placed on the table from where he had abandoned it.

He didn't say anything for a while and she got nearly lost in her thoughts again by the time he spoke up again.

"I have a gift for you," he told her and she looked up at him, startled a bit.

He pushed a small simple box in her direction across the table.

With her brow curiously raised at him, she reached out to it and brought it the rest of the way towards herself.

There was an ancient and eerily beautiful silver diadem in it, the big sapphire at its front sparkling vividly in the dim light of the room.

* * *

 _A bit of a cliffhanger again - I am so very much sorry, guys!_

 _Furthermore, the next chapter could be expected to take rather a lot of time; not due to some kind of author crisis but simply because of a big life change on my part. Originally, I thought that I would either finish the story by September or put it to a hiatus but you guys have been so awesome and supportive that I just cannot stop writing like that. So big thanks to all of you!_

 _Any comments are, as always, most welcome and appreciated! :-*_


	62. Chapter 62

_For Pirocantha who is soon getting married! Congratulations, girl!_

 _Thank you for reading this, guys :-*  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 62

He was scared to shits.

Ever since the last year and the order to kill Dumbledore, his life had got from bad to miserable but now it ascended to a wholly new level of shittiness.

Even before father died, the service to the Lord was not about glory, putting Mudbloods where they belonged and gaining power; it was much more about following orders while trying to not think of them too much and discovering someone better at that got rewarded instead afterwards. But then it happened; they had got betrayed and that had cost father his life, destroying their family forever, even as they had been doing everything they could to avoid exactly that.

And now the brat was born, putting them all in even greater danger. Danger from the Lord again.

It was only his - and mother's - life that now divided his 'niece' from inheriting all the property and wealth that belonged to the Malfoys and Blacks for centuries, making them an easy and obvious target for the Lord and his ever-hungry and praise seeking followers.

So him and mother both were licking the Lord's feet on daily basis to simply survive - so He would not say the word.

In case of aunt Bella, licking was not even restricted to feet. Yuck.

 _Shit. He should not be thinking about this - the Lord would know and give the order. Or do it himself._

 _Or make HIM lick it._

 _Gross!_

 _Fuck, stop it finally,_ he told himself and tried to direct his mind forcibly to something else.

Still, the constant fear kept gnawing at his insides, constricting his throat and making him sweat and tremble. By Salazar, if his hair was not silver blond to begin with, he was quite sure it would be more silver than blond by now.

* * *

The Floo suddenly flared to life and made his heart skip a few of its rapid beats; at first due to his irrational hope that it was father returning, then because of WHO it could be as he had belatedly - and with a horrible pang - realized that father would never come back to them again. The only other three people with access to their home were their 'family' - or family as father had defined it - Aunt Bella, Uncle Severus and the Dark Lord. A visit from any of these could now easily mean a quick and certain death.

It was Severus. His Head of House. His Godfather. Someone who used to be their family's only friend - at least back then, before they had fallen out of the Dark Lord's favor.

Also the man who had chopped Neville Longbottom - a moron but still a Pureblood, therefore a legitimate member of their world - carving him to death while he had been still fully conscious, managing to make even that Carrow bitch sick. All that because of what he had said, denying to ever be fighting with the boy so he would not have to admit he had lost to the wimp. Sentencing him to death just to save his face. And Severus knew; he had seen it well enough. Still, he had been playing along - probably not caring at all if they got the right person so long as he had someone to execute and to show to the Dark Lord...

Fuck, if HE was sent to execute them, they were done with. Draco had seen his Godfather survive things - without batting an eye - that he could not even watch. And the man would not bargain or take pity. He never had when it was about following orders...

And now he was standing in their reception room, stoic and serious as ever, not giving the slightest hint as for what his business here was. He really behaved like a true Pure-Blood would. Maybe his mother hadn't been that stupid as everybody says.

Shit, it didn't matter if he was here to kill them.

Mother insisted on receiving him alone so that Draco would have some time to run if things got ugly but he just could't let her. He would have no one left, if mother died too...

Wiping the tickling moisture from his eyes, he breathed in and stepped into the room, bracing himself for a possible attact. It didn't come. If you wouldn't count a heart attack as one.

Severus had barely acknowledged his presence before starting to unload a massive collection of various magical objects, weapons, artefacts and potions.

So he probably would get to choose how to leave this world at least...

A bead of sweat from his forehead trickled down into his eye, making him blink and realize he hadn't done that for the past few minutes, only staring at the man, unmoving and shivering.

"I have come to trade," his Goodfather said then evenly and his knees nearly buckled under him in relief.

Fucking Merlin's balls!

He - and mother too, he was sure - would give the man just about anything to simply make him leave. The hard part would be just not letting him know about that...

Draco nodded in answer to the statment, maintaining his posture with difficulty.

 _Malfoys are proud,_ he reminded himself.

He was a Malfoy.

* * *

He watched the black clad man's back disappear through the Floo and felt like he was at least two stones lighter.

It was probably the best deal of their life - getting rid of that, the proof of their failure, and gaining an oath from the most feared wizard in the ranks.

 _'Will you protect and preserve the Malfoy family and heretage, even at your own personal risk and against the Dark Lord's orders?'_

 _'I will,_ ' Severus' voice answered mother's, resounding in his mind once more and making his shoulders slump. A small smile appeared on his face as he turned it to mother, still seated in the chair at the head of the table.

"Why did he want that?" he asked her, confused as the Headmaster had never shown an interest in anything in their possesion except from potion ingredients. She appeared lost in thoughts though.

"Mother?" he called after a few seconds of silence.

Finally, she looked at him.

"Your father once told me that the sword has the power to hurt the Dark Lord..." she trailed off, her eyes full of the unsaid.

His father also kept saying that Severus was the only wizard alive who was truly able to hurt the Dark Lord.

He smiled at mother then.

She smiled back, her eyes bright.

* * *

 _So here is the chapter you asked for - a glimpse into the Malfoy's family for the first time :-) Short but hopefully not too disappointing..._

 _Thank you for still being with me in this! Love you all!_


	63. Chapter 63

**_NOTE: Chapter 62 is the new one - Draco's has been inserted as 62 :-)_**

 _Hi, guys!_  
 _I am proud to announce that on 9th September, my second daughter, Ella, was born. She is so cute and healthy and I already love her more than I know how to tell. Still, she and her sister only rarely give me much time to write which I apologize for..._

 _On a totally different note, I was rather surprised so many of you were surprised about Voldemort's and Bellatrix's baby being born - I was just trying to stick to what JKR has written; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, to be precise. If you haven't read that, I can only recommend it as it is an awesome and fanfiction-like book :-)_

 _Also not so many of you have guessed what the diadem really was but that was quite understandable._

 _This one is dedicated to **Lianore** and **Stormcrow4** who did recognize it and also to all of you who I have not responded to (again - I am really sorry! I will try to do better this time!)_

* * *

CHAPTER 63

As a teenager, he would never guess that defeating a Dark Lord would be such a tedious job; always imagining curses flying his way from all sides during some epic battle against the evil. Now he knew better; it was more about crawling in front of said Dark Lord just to get information that could be passed to the right people and bring the monster down and about spending hours bent over a huge, dusty tome with ancient grammar than about raising one's wand. Still, sometimes all it took was asking the right person...

Now it was about the last option, he decided, and threw the powder into the fireplace. It was time to say hello to Narcissa and Draco, for the first time since Lucius had died - because of him, not to mention. Luckily, they did not know that. Same as they hopefully had no idea of the true value that the sword had so he would not have to take it by force or steal it...

* * *

In the end, it was not the ancient artifacts or tomes that he had brought in to offer in exchange for the sword. It was not even the money that he had managed to take out as a loan from Gringotts. All it took was one Unbreakable Vow to protect the Malfoy family from the Dark Lord when the time comes.

Both were scared to death, even as they had tried not to show it too much.

Fuck, he should maybe say straight away that he needed the sword to kill the freak; they would probably force it into his hands then with no cost whatsoever, thanking him even... The Dark Lord really excelled at creating his own enemies; at least with Severus he had done that splendidly as far back as 18 years ago... He had no doubt that Narcissa and Draco now despised him about as much as he did, his offers of power notwithstanding.

* * *

Finding the diadem - once he knew it existed - was surprisingly no problem at all; there were only a few things at Hogwarts that could be kept secret from its Headmaster and only a few inhabitants of said school who would not answer his call. Luckily, Bloody Baron, the ghost of the Slytherin House and the direct witness of the diadem's disappearance, was not one of them. It didn't even take a whole day for him to guess where exactly he would find the artifact and it was just another few minutes to locate it in the spacious Room of Hidden Things, its lethal dark magic making it all but shine among all the mostly useless rubbish that was surrounding it.

Wrapping it in a piece of cloth in the middle of the night and careful not to expose anyone else to its magic, he brought it to the most secure and inaccessible place he knew of - the Headmaster office at Hogwarts - instructing the gargoyles to not let anyone in, no matter the reason. Then he, with a heavy heart, closed off even the fireplace; yet the chances that she would search him out with something urgent at that time of the night were much less likely than the piece of soul defeating him and somehow fleeing to Spinner's End where it could endanger her.

Placing the diadem on his table, he drew out the shining and extravagant - childishly so, in his opinion, but again it was not like he would expect anything better from a Gryffindor, let alone the infamous Godric Gryffindor - sword, glad that he had acquired it and could do this now, here, quickly and in relative safety. He could never be sure of that with Fiendfyre - only a moron would ever cast that in a building full of people. Plus it would totally and irreversibly destroy the invaluable and unique relic.

Breathing in and telling himself firmly that he can certainly face a piece of the Dark Lord's soul when he faces the - nearly! - whole thing on daily basis, Severus brought the edge of the sword to the reverse side of the jewel and gently dented it as to not damage it too much.

The effect was instantaneous.

As soon as the metal scratched the diadem, a cloud of vapor of the darkest black started to gush out of it, forming itself into the shape of the Dark Lord's ugly noseless head, and noisy tortured screams filled the room.

 _The man really was a true drama queen._

The ugly head sneered at him, a knowing malevolent smile revealing its disgusting teeth.

"Severus, Severus... I always knew there was something wrong about you; you were always just too perfect, too obedient, too loyal, too devoted. And now I see how you have always been so very pathetic, my friend... Just look at yourself! The girl will never love you back, no matter what you give or do for her. And you know what's the worst thing about it?" The monster paused in its speech dramatically, sneering. "You know it. You are very well aware that your pitiful efforts are hopeless but you still insist on trying... Like a poor lost puppy, searching for a hand to stroke it. The best you can ever hope for is for her to pity you, nothing more. If you had some dignity, you would just go and leave her alone; stop destroying her life even further before your mere existence torments her to death the way it did your mother. The way it killed Lily Evans..." the thing hissed at him, a disgusted grimace disfiguring its features even further.

And Severus felt his chest constricting at that, hopeless fear and despair twisting his heart and squeezing his throat.

Fuck, he knew the thing was behaving very much like a Boggart would and the monster itself was not aware of this piece of soul saying or seeing anything with all the anguish he had inflicted on it, being all but fully detached from it by now... But still it hurt; not in the physical but in the emotional way. In a manner Severus was least resilient against...

Furthermore, the phantom was not yet finished.

"It was always me who knew you the best; who truly understood you, helped you grow and flourish, supported you like no one else was or will. Who knew what you needed and who knew how to reward you. And it's not too late yet, my friend; you can always return to my side, to the right side. To the side that knew of the real merits of being a wizard, preserving the ancient values of our culture... The side that would appreciate you and your skills the way you deserve. My side, not the old fool's. Mine, not some stupid naive girl's."

 _Stupid girl? Stupid naive girl?!_

The words finally triggered something in Severus, changing all the fear and insecurity into rage that was so much more typical for him; emotion he knew how to deal with. Emotion that did not hurt.

Or not him at least.

"Fuck you," Severus whispered hatefully, finally saying what he really wanted to the thing after all those years he had spent serving him, and slashed the sword against the black specter, cutting it in half and making it scream horribly even as it swirled and slowly faded away in front of his cold eyes. It was done then, quite simply even.

Still, defeating the ghost didn't mean the thing was not right.

Shit, the Dark Lord knew, spot on, what was going on in his life. Better than he had even, never being able to admit it to himself so openly.

He really _was_ hopeless and pathetic.

* * *

Being summoned on the top of it all that evening was not that much worse in the end; at least it took his mind off the constant pondering and self-hatred that kept torturing his soul and heart.

Still, it had a downside too; for the first time in weeks, he got to see Bellatrix - just when he had started to hope she had not made it through the huge mass torture session that had taken place after Potter's disappearance. Furthermore, her big belly was almost gone and she was positively gloating as she was sitting by the Dark Lords left hand.

 _Fuck._

It turned out to be a celebratory raid that was held in the name of the newborn girl; the kind that had no purpose other than showing themselves off and inflicting as much havoc and mayhem as possible. The kind that his 'brethren' enjoyed the most. The kind that nearly always ended by the order to rape the bound girls again.

 _What a nice way to honor an infant_ , he thought sarcastically as he was dismissed to go home to his 'toy'. His 'toy' that he never planned to give back, no matter what it took. The 'toy' that now carried his child that he never planned to reveal to anyone as it needed to be protected at all costs.

The 'toy' that turned out to be the meaning of his life.

* * *

She knew something was wrong as soon as she set her eyes on him. He really was defenseless against her.

So he told her; he had no other choice - not when she kept giving him those looks full of understanding, her beautiful brown eyes so soft.

Told her about the baby of course, not about his true selfish concern caused by the Horcrux. Not even _he_ was that stupid; she was obviously pitying him enough as it was. He didn't need her to think him even more pathetic and wretched.

Then he gave her the diadem.

True, he could have sold it and earn enough money to be able to disappear now from this bloody country and live a very comfortable life till the end of his days as it was probably the most famous and powerful artifact that he could have ever set his hands on, the wisdom that it was allegedly providing to it's owner being a myth or not, but still - if anyone deserved to own it, it was her. It was not nearly as beautiful, valuable or clever as her, but nothing else would probably ever get that close. She deserved the best in any case.

Furthermore, it was gained by fighting the Dark Lord and was able to get it thanks to her. He would have never found it if she had not given him the first clue.

Holding his breath, he watched her as she opened the box, her eyes widening.

A minute passed.

He knew he hadn't wrapped it very well - it was always the content and not the outer appearance that mattered to him the most with everything and everyone - so she maybe didn't expect to find something like that.

But she was still only looking at it, not touching the jewel to take it or even smiling politely which was what he had expected; she was very well raised and presumably thought it was rude to refuse gifts even if she would not like them.

 _Damn, she did not like it._

He really was a moron.

"Don't you have anyone better to give it to?" she asked finally, her voice quiet as she was watching him cautiously.

 _Like who? The Dark Lord?_ It was his, technically, as he had found it first and Rowena had no known heirs, her family being one of many that had got extinct over the centuries. Still, the monster would probably not appreciate having it returned with the piece of his soul irreversibly gone.

So he just shook his head at her dumbly, feeling even lousier than before.

 _No, he had no one else. No one he would care about but her. No one ever wanted him in their life, the ugly moody fucker that he was._

She didn't want him either; she was just stuck with him with no other choice. It was only him who kept pretending otherwise.

The Dark Lord's voice echoed through his head again then. _'Just look at yourself! The girl will never love you back, no matter what you give or do for her.'_

 _Fuck._

And fuck the monster for being right. For being more emotionally clever than him.

The only way to buy love was really to buy a crup, just as Dumbledore had kept saying on days when he felt like joking.

 _Fuck them all._

He was just about to get up and go elsewhere to collect some of his peace back, maybe pretend to go to change his clothes from his Death Eater robes or something like that to save some of his dignity, when SHE did that, raising from her chair and leaving the kitchen without a word.

 _He really screwed this up._

 _How could he ever think that she would accept it? That she was for sale like that?_

His torturous and painful thoughts were interrupted after only a few moments as she returned carrying an old cartoon box and perplexing him out of his inner turmoil.

Did she want to give something to him now?

She put the box on the table, opening it.

So it was probably not a gift for him, he thought, unsurprised but still confused.

Seeing his own face in the box did not help in the slightest.

It was one of the Potions Weekly magazines. THE Potions Weekly magazine. The one featuring him as some kind of potion prodigy, making him feel something like happiness and pride at his own achievements when he had been reading it for the first time. Published shortly before his life turned completely to shits...

He still did not know how this was related to anything, even as she lifted it and put it on the table to reach something else.

Obviously not the old jinglebell that his mother kept for him, saying it was his favorite toy when he was a baby.

Fuck, there was a small stash of photos too.

Apprehensive, he watched her as she lifted the pile and selected one, turning it and moving it towards him, a questioning gaze on her face.

One look at it put yet another dagger through his tormented heart.

It was him and Lily so many years ago, reading in the library.

"What about her?" she asked him after a few moments and it took him another while to connect the question to their previous conversation. Was she asking him to rather give the diadem to Lily?

He swallowed, his constricted throat making the common action quite painful.

"She is dead," he told her, his embarrassingly weak voice explaining the obvious even as she probably knew that the mother of her best friend was no longer among the living. With some luck, she had not recognized her and would not ask any more questions that he was not fit to explain.

Shit, even this simple admission was more painful than he thought himself able to bear.

Looking at her, he saw that her face froze at that. She probably had not recognized Lily then.

"I am so sorry," she said and really sounded like she was.

Damn, he was too; it was his fault she had died, for fuck's sake. But he was not able to explain that, not now at least.

So he simply nodded, acknowledging her sympathy.

But she was not done yet.

"Do you still love her?" she asked, her eyes sad and so very compassionate.

Fuck, how he hated himself at that moment. But she really deserved to get the answer to that.

He nodded, looking away and feeling rather pathetic, and blinked a few times to chase away the horrible stinging from the corners of his eyes.

Yes, he still loved Lily; he would always love her, no matter what. In quite a different way than he loved Hermione but he could never forget her; her being his first and last true friend. Her being the only joy of his childhood. Not even his awkward, adoring, devoted and unrequited love from when he had been a teenager that had eventually ruined their relationship.

She had even taught him a lot; keep everything to himself and never let anyone know about his true feelings lest he would be laughed at because of them. He had not forgotten that either.

He never planned to let Hermione know in any case.

Luckily, she seemed to stop wanting to ask personal questions. No wonder, really; his life was just one big pile of failure mixed with disappointment. No one ever wanted to discuss that too much once they discovered all that shit that it contained by accidentally stepping in it. So they both just sat there, the photos lain between the two of them, not knowing what to say to each other.

After what seemed an eternity, it became just too suffocating and unbearable so he stood up, cleared the table, tidied the kitchen and turned to go.

"Good night," he said quietly to her, fully expecting to not be answered.

"Good night. And thank you," she said, adding the second sentence after a short hesitation and making him stop and turn back to her.

"What for?" he inquired, confused both by her soft tone and the words.

"The tiara. It's very beautiful," she told him, her voice quiet and shy as she avoided his eyes.

Not expecting that and somewhat at loss for words, he waved his hand dismissively.

"You are welcome to keep it or just sell it. The Horcrux is gone from it so its safe - still, you should probably wait for the war to end first as to not risk anything needlessly," he told her, hoping she would obey. He really did not want to explain to the Dark Lord how it had disappeared from Hogwarts under his watch if it was ever somehow returned to him.

Hermione seemed to stop breathing at that though.

 _Fuck, he hoped he did not screw this up once more just when they had started talking again._

"Horcrux?" she asked, her voice tight, her wide brown eyes suddenly glued to the simple box the diadem was delivered in.

What? Didn't she recognize it? Rowena wore it in just about every painting...

"Yes - it's the diadem that used to belong to Rowena Ravenclaw. It was you who told me the Dark Lord likely turned it into a Horcrux. I found it and got rid of the soul," he explained simply.

And she smiled; the radiant, full smile that brought mirth to her eyes, making them shine brightly in the dim light of the room and warming his heart up.

"Really? And you did that on your own?! Merlin, damn you! I need to hear everything about it!" she exclaimed and nearly ran to him.

He foolishly half expected her to kiss him again, her expression and joy reminding him of the situation in his office from so many days ago.

She didn't though, grabbing his hand instead and dragging him forcibly to the living room where she pushed him unceremoniously down to sit on the couch. Then she sat next to him, her legs folded under her, still holding his hand.

 _Damn, this is nearly better than being kissed,_ he thought, trying not to smile as she ordered him bossily to start telling her finally.

* * *

 _For those of you who would have been interested in what exactly transpired in Malfoy Mansion, I have a chapter from Draco ready in my head so don't hesitate to tell me in your comment if I shall put it to paper (or my computer writing gear :-D)_

 _Thank you for being so patient with me and waiting for this for so long, guys :-* The next one will take a while too so I hope you will forgive me again..._

 _Still, I think a review or two could speed it up a bit... (Hint! :-D)_


	64. Chapter 64

_Dedicated to **Azalea** for reviewing although I could not respond to her directly!_

 _Thank you all for following, reviewing and adding this story to your favorites, it means really a lot to me!_

* * *

CHAPTER 64

Hermione was currently giving one of her fiercest hugs to the only recipient of such displays of her affection in about a month - the toilet. Hard and cold as it was, at least it didn't fight against her and no one could see.

Damn, she felt horrible. Her stomach was obviously considering itself seasick for some reason, refusing and expelling any food that she _had_ been able to ingest. Was the baby planning to become a sailor when it was born? Was it punishing her for something? Or was it just some test to judge if she was fit to be a mother?

 _Fit. Merlin, she is everything but fit._

 _If this continues for a single day more, she_ _w_ _ould_ _tell Severus_ , she decided, reconsidering her previous determination to avoid exactly that in order to spare him the necessity - or what HE would consider a necessity for certain - to brew the horribly expensive and time-consuming Anti-Nausea Potion for her.

He was getting suspicious anyway, giving her strange looks during their dinners when she couldn't avoid leaving his side abruptly to visit the bathroom. Plus, she was certain he could see and feel the Glamour Charm that she was constantly wearing. Still, he hadn't commented on it for a reason...

Maybe he didn't care. Or maybe he was just being tactful; something she was not by a long shot. She cringed, remembering their conversation where she had asked about the girl he loved.

 _About the DEAD girl he STILL loved._

Bollocks, she had wanted to dig herself twenty feet under the ground and stay there forever. What a prying, cruel and selfish thing to do. She could see clearly that she had hurt him, the pain obvious in his body language and voice which REALLY meant something with this man. It was a miracle he was speaking to her at all after that.

She probably wouldn't if their roles were reversed.

But now she knew that the girl he had obviously been imagining and pretending her to be during their intimate moments was gone. Which meant she was always present in a way. Which also meant she could no longer do anything to make him stop loving her. Which meant Hermione stood no chance at all.

But maybe the baby still did. Maybe if she did everything just fine, didn't make too big a nuisance out of herself and got on well with him, he would be a good father to their child. He was capable of that if he wanted to, she was sure.

 _Merlin, he was capable of doing quite a lot_ , she remembered, the memory of their last time together back in his quarters at Hogwarts making her cheeks flush and her lower belly tingle, full of butterflies.

 _Maybe if they_ _c_ _ould_ _get on well with each other, they could do it again, even_ _though_ _it was not strictly necessary anymore. Maybe he wouldn't mind. Maybe it would make her feel nice again, chasing away the bouts of insecurity that she experienced nearly every day..._

 _Damn, was she lusting after the man now or what?!_ She startled, realizing what she had been debating with herself.

 _They were just... Friends. Of sorts. Partners._

 _Not like partners in love, damn! More like partners in a project. Yes, that was it. Collaborators._

 _It was the hormones that had made her think about that_ , she told herself and tried to ignore her growing frustrations with her own body.

Sighing, she tiredly wiped her mouth and gingerly rose from her crouched position by the toilet to brush her teeth for the fifth time that day.

 _Her parents would be proud_ , she thought and cringed.

Damn, her parents probably wouldn't care in the slightest about her teeth as they didn't know they - and she - existed. They didn't know she was expecting their grandchild even. They would probably never even meet the baby since she stood only a small chance of breaking her own Memory Charm when it had lasted for so long already...

Her eyes began stinging again and she pushed at them forcefully with the back of her hand, wiping the tears and rinsing her mouth.

There was no more time for self-pity; she had wallowed in that for long enough. She had sworn to make herself useful finally. The world was not revolving around her and never would. It was high time she did something for others, she reminded herself and exited the bathroom, trying to not think about her lingering nausea and weak knees any more.

Arriving at the lab that she had vacated about an hour ago, she sighed again as she immediately smelled all the various potions that had been botched in her absence.

So much for her day's work being useful to anybody.

"Evanesco," she announced tiredly, making the contents of all six cauldron disappear and feeling rather defeated.

Maybe she should have listened to Severus and let him brew all the potions for the Infirmary at Hogwarts or at least those he regularly and anonymously shipped to the Order. But there was so little she could do from here to help that she just couldn't let him spend his time with those rather simple and mundane tasks when he was needed so much elsewhere, researching and looking for the Horcruxes...

So it was time to start over.

Filling the cauldrons with water and starting the fire, she went to fetch another batch of ingredients from the storage.

Just as she was reaching up to pick off the jar with salamander's skin, a surge of strange magic suddenly went up her arm, circling and centering in the black letters on her shoulder that formed her Dark Mark, pulling and tugging at her to carry her to its creator.

The jar in her hand dropped to the ground, shattering.

She had never experienced it before but there was little doubt that she had just been summoned by her Master.

Her hands trembling and her body frozen in place, Hermione stood in the storage room, not having the slightest idea of what is happening and what she should do about it.

Why was Severus calling her? He said he would likely never use the Mark at all, even though it had been a lifetime ago, back in the Fortress. Did Voldemort make him call her? Did the monster want to see her for some reason?

 _Did he find out about the baby?_ occurred to her then and her heart skipped a beat even as her hand strayed to her belly and lingered there protectively.

If so, the dark wizard would probably keep her there so he would be able to steal the child to raise him or her himself as soon as it is born. Maybe he would also give Severus a new girl to replace her. Perhaps he would kill her as soon as she gave birth to the kid...

 _God, be reasonable, Hermione!_ she ordered herself then. _Not everything is about you..._

Shaking but still feeling the pulling of the Mark clearly, she made herself exhale and inhale deeply and slowly a few times to calm herself and try to forestall the panic attack that was about to seize her. She could not afford to do something rash. Her position was much too sensitive.

 _She needs to protect the baby. She needs to be useful too..._

 _Damn, Severus knows that too. He wouldn't call her if it was dangerous. He wouldn't permit anyone to force him to call her either, he is stubborn enough for that. He probably just needed her for something urgent and he couldn't use a Patronus for some reason._

He only ever truly needed her for one reason.

 _Merlin, he probably needs her help with healing! He is injured, most likely, and he can't use his potions any more to fix himself!_

A surge of adrenaline took hold of her body, clearing her mind and making her grab a cloak and a handful of the Floo Powder, throwing it into the fireplace before she even realized she was running. As soon as she entered his office, she Disillusioned herself and ran to the Hogwarts gates, never noticing anybody on her journey for the speed she had managed to reach.

Crossing the wards, she finally could let the constant tugging from her shoulder direct her to the right place as she apparated, leaving the castle and all its relative security behind.

When the world got its clear shape again, she could see Severus, Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange a few yards from herself, leaning over something. They looked up as they probably had heard the bang that announced her arrival, staring directly at her. The invisibility charm on her had been cancelled somehow.

They all froze for a few seconds.

Then the three Death Eaters rose and ran to her, overcoming the few yards that divided them in a second.

Before she recovered from her shock, they all hugged her tightly.

* * *

 _A cliffhanger - I am so very sorry!_

 _The next chapter is going to be from a new participant of this story, so it will be a kind of a surprise :-)_

 _Edited by **Pirocantha** again - the woman who is married now so I felt brave enough to bother her with that. Thank you and congratulations once again!_

 _Also big thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing :-*_


	65. Chapter 65

_Hi, guys,_

 _Considering you are all still here (in spite of - or hopefully because of - reading all the previous chapters), you are obviously quite tough sort of readers but I still feel compelled to **warn** you about this one; it comes from the most unhinged character in the series (according to me at least) so it's meant to be everything but normal. It could come across as disturbing for some of you so feel free to skip it if you are not up to open this particular can of maggots at this moment as it is not necessary to understand the following events and plot._

 _It does not help you to get any Christmas atmosphere either so better wait with it if you are seeking some._

 _I also thank you for being so patient with me :-)_

 _Dedicated to **KagomeLove2** for being the first to review this chapter!  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 65

She was still bleeding from when the horrible squealing brat tried to tear her apart - from inside, that cowardly little bitch. She didn't really mind the blood or the pain - her Lord liked it even - but the fact that she could not make the little wee snot pay for it. Its father wanted it alive for some reason.

So she only fired a Crucio at the House Elf who was just going by her, carrying a bottle to feed the whelp.

 _Maybe it would die of its own if given the chance._

 _But it would be no fun like that, would it?_

She laughed, the cheer breaking out of her in a sudden gust of high-pitched giggles. She heard something from downstairs breaking - probably some inferior servant dropped something in fear. Or peed himself.

She laughed harder even as her mind hurt more than usual that day.

But it was time to go. She was about half an hour late already and the bugger probably would not wait for her much longer.

Of course, she told nobody of her plans to meet him; if it got to the Lord that she went anywhere with him alone, he would make her pay for it. Her Master saw it in her mind clearly enough. Her, imagining it was him fucking her. Her, screaming in ecstasy while they both were in her at the same time. In one particularly arousing fantasy, the Lord severing the bastard's head just as he came, the blood gushing on her just as his cock squirted into her...

Her cunt squeezed at that memory. She would probably have to use his wand again tonight.

It worked good enough when she could not use the man. For now.

It was pure luck she found his wand - along with his bloodied cloak which was quite a nice bonus - unguarded for once, forming a rather easy target. The wood was as cold to her, hard and likely to kill her with no warning as the fucker was. And ever since then, when she felt like fucking him she fucked herself with his wand as she couldn't have his cock. For now.

Maybe the thing would hit her again with something tonight in retribution if she shot the man some nasty curse today when his back would be turned, just to not become too rusty.

She felt herself getting wet, the arousal mixing with the blood she was still leaking after giving birth - or rather being MADE to give birth - to that stinker. She was rather curious how it would taste.

 _She will try that tonight too._

Giggling, she crossed the wards of her Manor and apparated.

* * *

He was already there, waiting for her like a poor little valet. She had won this one.

Shit, even as a loser, he was still fuckable as hell. He had his charm even before, deadly, dangerous, cold and mean, but now that he had got his face fixed, her reminded her so much of the Lord before he had got changed; the white teeth that he showed only to sneer at her, the aristocratic features...

Even as a Half-Blood, he would be worth it. But she could not make him. For now.

It made her angry, understandably.

So she laughed, making him shot her a look, his eyes narrowed at her.

 _Fuck. One day it will happen._

* * *

Descending the tunnels, an ugly imp as an escort, she watched out for the dragon - she loved to torture the beast so she did exactly that, making it roar in pain each time she came to visit the vault. It was always nice to see the gigantic creature reduced to smoky whimpers, no matter how many times before she had done that...

Snape didn't even blink at the display of her power, playing unimpressed. The son of a bitch. At least it was a Pure-Blood bitch though...

Placing her wand and hand at the door, she opened the vault, sending the ludicrous creature away with a curse and letting the fucker pass by her to go in.

She couldn't let him give the potions to the Lord himself; it was meant to be _her_ gift to him. Even if just to make him reconsider his constant comments about her being good only for fucking and torturing...

She couldn't brew anything herself anymore. For fuck's sake! It wasn't her fault. She used to be good, back before the floating shrouds had torn her mind apart, making it hurt all the time and breaking her ability to focus and concentrate on anything complicated for longer periods of time.

No, she wasn't scared of the Dementors, no, no more. Not after some mushy period of time; not after she had become one of them. To blend in. So they would not recognize and feed on her. She had been even helping them to watch over the other prisoners on times when she had felt like it.

But she was a _good_ Dementor. Not causing the mental pain like they were; just the physical one which was fun and that made people feel nice. Not giving kisses to trap you in your body but taking lives to free your soul to go away from this ugly world... She was the best Dementor on Earth. She was very proud of herself, of what she could do.

But Snape was a Dementor too; she could see and feel that clearly enough. His eyes had yet to miss a single move she had made since they had met, in the much same way hers had. His soul behind them so empty that it had to feed on the emotions and joy of others to sustain itself. He was a different species from hers, not letting others see the pleasure he was getting from what he did, but still they were of a kind.

That was probably why he turned her on so much... He was a male specimen, meant for her to mate with in the same way her Lord was. It was purely animalistic.

And it was totally Potter's fault anyway.

 _Too bad she didn't get to kill him for that. For now._

 _She would, one day. The brat would squeal like a pig being slaughtered - she knew that. She had seen it in her dreams too often for it to not happen._

Snape would not make a sound, she could tell. She had never heard him. He didn't feel pain the way others did, much like her...

She considered him as he was taking his time perusing through all the books and tomes that were pilled up in the vault, searching for his price - and prize too. It was to be his reward for giving her the potions; he got to select any book from the vault. Or that was the deal at least. She would honor it for once probably, as she had no use for the books anymore anyway - reading was complicated and needed a lot of focus. She did not have time for that.

Still, he had yet to show her his back or lower his guard, the fucker. Perhaps she wouldn't even get to spell him today...

She giggled, the Dark magic tingling impatiently in her fingers, and he shot her a look at that, his eyes narrowed suspiciously even as he was listing through a dusty volume.

It was quite a nice game of theirs.

A creak came from the door then and her hand shot to her wand in a flash, pointing at the intruder.

Intruders.

 _Fuck!_

She could tell immediately that they were impersonators; this Snape looked way too dumb and scatterbrained, she herself would never comb her hair in such a horrific style and her husband was as dead as daffodils.

She started casting, one curse following the other in a split of a second.

 _She WILL kill those freaks for this! Such an outrageous insolence! How could that bitch dare to disguise and imitate her?_

 _By Salazar, she was still quick._

A curse flew her way even as they tried to cover from her behind a nearby chest.

 _She will get that slut and the two morons and then torture them until they will lose_ _their wits._

She laughed, the mirth and joy from her own magic warming her whole body up.

They stood no chance at all; especially as there was Snape - the real bugger - with her.

Finally, she managed to land a good hit, blasting the fake Snape against a wall and activating both the _Geminio_ and _Flagrante_ all the property was enchanted with when he dropped down.

The man screamed in pain and she could only laugh harder; she finally discovered how it would sound if she ever managed to make the man cry out.

 _Fuck, she wanted to hear that again. And since the real Snape was on her side and this hopeless idiot was not..._

"Crucio!" she yelled, the pleasure seeping into her very bones as the screams of the imitator intensified, writhing in pain and getting buried under white hot golden plates.

Something hit her side then and she fell down, the surprise breaking the spell she had cast on the moron.

 _How could THEY hit her? One could not raise a finger against her and the two others were still shitting themselves in fear behind the chest..._

 _No, they weren't anymore_ , she noticed idly as she saw them being thrown out from the vault, the whining Snape shortly following them. The door got slammed behind them and she was faced with the real Snape, his robes billowing and his - or what used to be Dren Wolf's - wand raised.

"I am sorry, Bella," he said, his eyes empty and cold as always.

It dawned on her finally. It was him who had spelled her before! It was him who cleared away the three fools so that she could not have her fun with them - probably to play with them himself later. He didn't want to share...

"Snape! You fucker!" she yelled, angry beyond reason.

She would make him pay for this, the traitor! He didn't want to share even that pleasure with her, the selfish brat!

It made her sad. So she laughed - and cursed him, pretending to lower her head in defeat and then hurling _Diffindo_ at the man. The fucker expected it though and deflected the curse with a nearly bored wave of his wand.

Ire seized her whole body then and she no longer knew what exactly she was doing - she was carried away by adrenaline, her instincts and sheer delight from the fight. She felt alive and as happy as she could possibly get after spending all those long years buried and dead, blending in with the Dementors.

Still, she knew he had got two of those cutting curses of his through at some point - he never even let her hear the incantation for them, the fucker, let alone any counter curse - and now her leg was bleeding quite heavily. However, she had yet to land a good hit on the bugger who was now sneering at her, calm and composed even in the heat of the battle.

She was about to lose. Again.

 _FUCK!_

She yelled, furious and desperate.

If she could not hit the fucker, she would hit something else.

"Flipendo!" she screamed, her wand aimed next to Snape.

The shelf and the objects on it were blasted away, flying in all directions.

And a few of them hit Snape - _actually hit him! Fuck!_ \- as he was probably not expecting to be hit from the side and couldn't effectually deflect the curse that was aimed somewhere else. Immediately, the things began burning and multiplying and she could hear the man gasp and flinch away as the metal sizzled, burning his flesh and emitting that gorgeous smell of burned human meat.

Oh, she would love to have a bite. She certainly would take one as soon as she would finish with him - no matter whether he would be still alive or not...

Grinning, she used his fleeting distraction and threw a whole chest of Galleons in his direction, making the coins, that he hadn't managed to dodge in time, burn the man again.

 _Merlin, she was a genius! The most powerful witch in the world!_

 _"Crucio!"_ she yelled again, cheerful, and watched the spell finally hit the fucker - even as she could tell that only by the way he scrunched and stopped avoiding the burning objects that were pilling around him.

The gold started to swallow Snape, fillip up the space in his part of the vault and making it difficult to move, let alone evade spells. She still had him under the curse.

 _Fuck, she would win this one!_

Laughter tore out of her throat again. This was the best day of her life by far...

He passed out only when the plates, coins and lockets reached to his neck, the heat probably eating through the thin skin there towards his larynx and arteries, severing them. There was a lot to say about the git, but being a sissy was not one of them.

 _Too bad she didn't get to fuck him before killing him._ _Still, it felt good,_ she surmised as she watched the place where he had disappeared, entombed by the treasures. She allowed herself another good laugh at that - she deserved that one for certain.

Now it was time to cancel the _Geminio_ and _Flagrante_ \- she was the only one who could do that as she was the one to cast them - so that the vault would be usable again. And then she would go and play with those three fakes. They couldn't have run too far... Still, she should better hurry.

Just as she turned around to leave, a gigantic snake that was made of white hot flames emerged from the pile of gold next to her, flying and swallowing all that was within its reach.

Including her. She had not managed to make a single step further.

Flames ate at her body, tingling her even as her skin turned black from the heat, and her mind started to detach from her tormented body, released both from its never ending pain and the physical world. The pressure and strain in her head, pilling there for years and years, got loosened finally and she sighed in relief. Whoever had done that, he or she certainly was even better Dementor than her. She was truly lucky today.

She smiled, content and relaxed.

This really was the best day of her life.

* * *

 _I am so sorry to post something like this so close to Christmas - it was in the making for rather a long time and it was not intended. I hope I did not spoil the mood for those of you who actually enjoy the holiday and are not overfed with the joy and merriment yet :-)_

 _Thank you all for reading and reviewing - I can't wait to hear from you again!  
_


	66. Chapter 66

_A long chapter ahead!_

 _Dedicated to **Ghanima77** for making up my day :-)_

* * *

CHAPTER 66

From the very beginning, he kept telling them this was not a good idea and that it would not end up well. Unfortunately, they had not, as usual, listened.

So now they were stacked in a tiny Gringotts' mine cart, heading to Lestrange's vault and with no plan as what to do when they would arrive there and totally unprepared for anything that could make things go wrong.

Having Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, the very two people who had tortured his parents till the had lost their sanity, stand next to himself was not helping him feel any better about this and he knew his palms were sweating as he gripped the metal edge of the old cart, nervous and jumpy.

They had been lucky as hell so far, admittedly; Dobby, one of the elves that sided with them, had managed to sneak into the Lestrange Manor, stealing two hairs - one belonging to Rodolphus, one to Bellatrix - while pretending to be cleaning. Obviously, there was always a shortage of elves in that household as they seemed to have a very short average lifespan for some reason and the new worker had not appeared too conspicuous to anyone. Furthermore, he had managed to find one Snape's hair - along with quite a bit of his blood from when they had been wrestling with each other over the bottle with poison - on his T-Shirt when he had arrived to join the boys by the lake and had wisely kept it in spite of his first impulse to burn the piece of clothing immediately after taking it off.

What was even better, he had won the fight over who would turn himself into Snape, adding the hair into one dose of the Polyjuice Potion that the boys had discovered in their bag, as it was him who had found it even as he could not explain to them how he exactly had come to be in possession of it. Still, it was his to use!

Damn, being Snape sucked but he was not about to turn himself into a girl. Woman. Anyone with different... things... than he had. Or used to have. He had at least seen what Snape got, although he hadn't precisely wanted to, back when he had caught him with Hermione, naked. So he should have been warned.

Still, it felt very strange to handle the body of a totally different man. He was quite a bit taller and thinner than he used to be and it made him unsure on his feet even as he tried to not think of other... ugh... _size differences_. Furthermore, people - and goblins too - were giving him fearful looks, looking down as soon as they caught a glimpse of him and scattering away in seconds. All in all, he felt very uneasy about this whole idea and caught himself hoping that they would actually find nothing in the vault so they would be able to leave - and change back! - quickly.

Finally, he felt the cart slowing down as Griphook directed it to their destination. At least he was much better driver than he was company; the goblin barely spoke to them during the time they had been sharing their living spaces, only truly getting involved in their conversation when it was about his chance of being released from his promise to help them in their efforts. It was Snape who made him promise that, Neville was sure about it - yet it stayed secret to the two other boys who kept discussing the mysterious man to no end, never noticing him getting silent as soon as someone brought it up.

 _Damn, he had to be silent if he did not want to die because of the Vow. What a moron he had been to swear it..._

Still, he did not regret joining the boys - their mission was rather suicidal and with minimal chance of success but at least it WAS a mission. No more terrorizing from the Carrow bitch. No more idle planning at Hogwarts. No more sitting in the corner, letting others act and counting on someone else to win the war - especially as he had discovered that someone being Snape.

 _Merlin, HE is Snape now_ , he reminded himself and tried to act as Snape would. _Not going around and killing people by hundreds, no, not that! But acting cool. Yes, he could do that. If he tried hard enough..._

 _Be as hard as a rock, Neville! Snape!_ he corrected in his mind and braved himself to exit the cart so he could get killed by whatever was guarding the vault.

Ronald barely managed to step out of the vehicle - it was fun to some extend, knowing this to be caused by the high heels on his shoes and discomfort from having to wear woman's dress and bra and knickers. Fun, but unfortunately the dangerous kind - the boy was way too noticeable due to his clumsiness and unease. Neville knew a lot about those attributes as they were his life long company.

So far they had managed to escape notice thanks to Griphook and due to the two Imperio Curses that Harry - Rodophus - had managed to cast, improvising where he would have panicked as the goblins seemed to smell something fishy about them; or more fishy than the original Death Eater trio would be which was very hard to imagine.

"You are lucky today. The dragon seems to be dealt with and sleeping," the goblin grumbled and it made him look around in fright.

Damn, he had not even noticed the beast for its sheer size! He had just thought there was some gigantic marble statue looming above them to decorate the place!

 _He was REALLY glad HE did not have to deal with that thing!_

He couldn't tear his eyes away from the huge form even as they neared the door to the vault.

 _The mission will end here. They won't get in. Griphook won't be able to open it without the real Bellatrix and her wand. It just won't work and they will return back to the cottage, unharmed and happy they had tried it at least,_ Neville prayed and waited for the goblin to try to let them in.

The door swung open as soon as Griphook touched it though, surprising obviously even the little man.

Someone had probably left it unlocked. _They should better be cautious about this..._

He turned around to tell that to Harry and Ron but they were not there anymore. He could only hear the hurried footsteps and excited exclamations from inside that indicated quite clearly just how careful his friends were.

 _Damn it!_

"Stay there and guard the door for us. Tell us if somebody is coming here," he told the goblin in a hurry.

"Please," he added a tad later, remembering his manners. Being on a life threatening Horcrux hunt (he still couldn't believe the idea of them! What an outrageous and horrendous way to protect one's hide!) didn't give anyone the right to be rude.

He saw Griphook nod just as he stepped into the vault, crouched, vigilant and on the lookout for potential danger.

He saw it the very next second.

There was one more Snape and one more Lestrange than there was supposed to be and Harry - obviously the last one to notice that as he could not see himself and maybe considered those two to be Neville and Ron during his hasty search for the artifact - was just walking towards the very real pair of Death Eaters.

"Watch out!" he called and ducked behind a nearby chest just in time to avoid a curse flying his way.

So they had been noticed.

 _MERLIN!_

 _There was Snape there, the real one! If he had to protect his cover, he would not hesitate to kill them!_

 _He would gladly kill Neville for the impertinence to turn himself into him for sure, Death Eater cover or not. And then there was the woman who had tortured his parents till they got crazy..._

He was screwed. Scared and angry too even as the rain of curses shook the chest - likely spelled to resist those, fortunately - he was covering behind. But the worst thing was that Harry had ventured too far - there was nothing good for him to hide behind and Unforgivables and other spells were showering them so thickly now that it lit the spacious room brightly.

 _Were they faced with an army of hidden Death Eaters or really just the two?!_

If it continues like this, Harry will soon have nothing to hide behind - and there was nothing else to do with them than hide or dodge as the Unforgiveables could not be deflected. The fragile bookshelf Harry ducked by would not hold another ten curses...

 _They were so screwed!_

He tried to fire at the crazy witch - not at Snape like Ron was doing although the man spelled them too; he owed him one for saving his life even as the headmaster would kill him now with no hesitation - so that she would focus her attention on him and not on Harry, giving him some chance to find a better cover.

"Stupefy!" he yelled, aiming at her. And missing.

It only made her scream and double the number of her spells.

 _Good Godric, this thing was really a horrible idea!_

The shelf in front Harry shattered then and he decided on an impulse - he needed to provide a better target than the boy.

Contrary to Harry, he was not needed - or able - to defeat Voldemort. He would not be missed. Everyone thought he was dead anyway. He had said his goodbye already...

So he jumped up to face the pair of Death Eaters to divert their attention. They did not know who he really was and how hopeless he was at magic. Maybe they would be confused and more cautious about him because of this...

"Protego!" he shouted when he saw the first few curses coming his way.

First two didn't get through. The third did.

The power of it lifted him into the air and made him fly until his body collided with something solid and cold behind him, winding him brutally. A wall. Still, it was not the worst by far.

As soon as he made contact with the golden plates under his feet when he had fallen down, the tableware began multiplying and burning, quickly reaching his skin and making him scream in pain.

It hurt like hell and he tried to evade as much of it as he could, crawling back to safety as he saw Harry had found a better place to hide in the meantime.

He had not made it.

"Crucio!"

White hot pain absorbed his body and he no longer cared about being burned as well. He did not care about anything else than escaping the pain, by any mean necessary. Killing someone. Dying himself. It did not matter as long as the pain would not make him go crazy...

* * *

Suddenly, he was thrown hard, the curse broken and he landed on his back. Everything hurt so bad that he had problems breathing and kept squeezing his eyes shut to focus on not whimpering like a small boy. He didn't need to embarrass himself even further...

"Neville? Neville?! Are you alright?" someone yelled into his ear, making his head hurt even more.

He shook his head. No, he wasn't. He rather thought that was quite obvious.

"Potion! Give him some potion!" It was Harry's voice, he could tell when it was not emitted inches from his aching brain.

One and then another bottle was pressed to his lips and he drank both with no hesitation - he knew what it was OK as far as his knowledge of potions went; it was brewed by Snape, so it should be brewed correctly as all the previous ones had been, and it was labeled with big letters so that all the boys could understand it and use it appropriately. Only today he had digested "I NEED TO CHANGE INTO SOMEONE ELSE - ADD A BODY PART OF THAT PERSON" and "I NEED TO CALM DOWN". When he opened his eyes, feeling much better immediately, he discovered that two more had just been added, one empty vial sporting the label of "I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG BUT I NEED HEALING", the other "I HAVE BEEN TORTURED BY CRUCIATUS LESS THAN 2 HOURS AGO".

"Thanks," he said, sighing in relief when he realized that nothing burned him any longer and the pain from the curse got loosened considerably.

Harry grinned at him, making Rodolphus face twist in a strange way. It was not long lived though.

"Have you seen that?! That coward Snape! It was him, I know it! He threw us out! He just won't face me!" he screamed, rising to his feet and running back to the closed door to pound on it.

"Harry, we were losing!" Neville tried to reason with him as he was sitting up and checking himself for other injuries.

A bang resounded the hall from inside the vault.

 _So they were still fighting? But who?!_

"No, we weren't! I nearly got him! And we need to destroy the Horcrux!" Ron yelled, running to the door too to join Harry.

 _Merlin..._

"Whoever threw us out likely saved our life, guys!" he tried to explain.

"Alohomora!" Ron hammered his wand against the door, probably not hearing a word.

"Was it you, Griphook? Did you pull us out?" he asked the goblin who stood a few feet away from them, unmoved and not taking part in the conversation whatsoever.

The little man shook his head and continued in his detailed survey of the stone ceiling.

 _So it had to be Snape..._

 _Damn, he owed him his life twice now._

"Portaberto!" Harry yelled at the closed vault door with no result.

Another loud crack shook the walls.

"Harry! Ron! " he called them, trying to get their attention.

"Open Sesame!"

They did not listen, as usual.

 _Damn._

So he lifted himself up, dragged himself to his two friend and grabbed Harry by his robes to bodily turn him so he would face the boy.

"Harry! What do you plan to do when you open the vault?" he asked him, looking directly into his eyes.

The fake Rodolphus seemed to perceive him finally, a confused expression on his face.

"Erm... Beat them. And destroy the Horcrux," he explained as if it was obvious. Neville gave him a look.

"Fine, we will plan something," he said, giving in and taking Ron by the arm to drag them all together.

"So what do you suggest?" Ron asked, eying him expectantly. _HIM, damn!_

 _He was NOT Hermione, for Godric's sake! It was enough they expected him to cook food for them!_

He did say that aloud though - it would not help anyone.

So Neville only sighed, still a bit sore and rather tired.

"What about this - you lend me your cloak, I get in, find out what is going on there and try to steal the cup if I get the chance," he suggested although he REALLY didn't want to go back there.

"It could work if it is _me_ who will get in, not you," Harry said, immediately fishing in his bag for the cloak to pull it over himself.

"Or me!" Ron exclaimed.

"Harry," Neville said, trying to get the boy to look at him again. Nothing.

"HARRY! Listen to me for once!" That made the boy stop for a while at least.

"It has to be me. I am considered dead. If it gets bad, I have no parents and no siblings to lose. No prophecy to fulfil. No one to miss me. No special power. No one except for you would even know I went there. It's the logical choice," he tried to explain the obvious although it pained him to admit that he was so useless and replaceable. Still, it didn't change the fact that it was true. Furthermore, he was the only one who knew - THOUGHT! - that Snape was on their side even if he could not act like it.

Harry and Ron both stared at him, no saying a word.

So he pulled the cloak out of Harry's grip, not giving them time to recover and talk him out of this - which could turn out to be easy, admittedly - and called on the goblin.

"Mr. Griphook, the door is locked. Can you please open it for me? Quietly?" he asked politedly, not even trying to open the door himself. He knew no more spells than his friends did and he very much doubted he was any more powerful than them so it would be just wasting their time.

He saw Harry and Ron exchange a surprised look and fortunately also Griphook nearing to the door, frowning but evidently willing to do what was asked of him.

It took about thirty seconds for the door to open, the little man making a step back from them.

"Thank you. And see you in a minute, guys!"

 _Goodbye, more like_ , he thought, his hands trembling as he clasped the clip on the cloak under his chin.

Braving himself for the battle inside, he was taken aback by the silence he was faced with when he reentered the vault - there was only a quiet voice from distance chanting something in latin.

And then Snape's body appeared a few yeards away from him where there had been only a pile of gold before and he very nearly squealed out in fright.

Well, he at least surmised it was Snape because of the clothes the body wore for there was no skin on his face - or anywhere else where he could see, for that matter - left.

So the man, the horror of his life, was gone finally...

But then the body moved and he DID squeal out this time, rather undignifiedly.

 _DAMN!_

"Don't stare at me and kill her, Longbottom. Kill her and run. You won't get a better chance and you deserve it more than most. Cast Fiendfyre, run and lock the door" the man rasped, his articulation for once less than perfect probably due to his burned lips.

Trembling with adrenaline now as much as with fear, he looked up to see Bellatrix Lestrange, the torturer of his parents, in the back of the vault, checking the spells she had just cast, obviously busy and feeling safe.

 _Merlin, Snape is right._

"Ignis Exsecratus!" he spoke the words for the curse he had never used before, praying it would work.

It coud, people said it needed no special power - just enough stupidity to want to cast it.

He might by stupid but that did not matter now. Especially as he saw the cursed flames swallow the crazy witch.

 _Damn, he couldn't believe he really did that!_

Turning around to run from this inferno on Earth to save his life, he saw Snape made no move to escape, only lying there, barely conscious.

 _Fuck, the proffesor was probably in no condition to run. Neville really was stupid on times._

Changing his direction and running towards Snape now, he swooped down to help the man to his feet. Fortunately, he was quite lighweight and strong at the same time, so Snape's body he currently occupied had no problem lifting the real Snape up.

They probably looked quite strange together. But that didn't matter now either.

He felt the flames licking his feet just as he was opening the door and had to fight the urge to stop and try to douse the fire on his clothes.

He slammed the door behind him and dumped Snape along with his burning clothes as fast as he could, obviously managing everything in time to avoid any major injury.

 _Merlin! He couldn't believe he had made it! Woohoo!_

A wand stabed him in his neck.

WHAT?

"Don't make a move, you traitor! Harry, pick Neville and help him, fast!" Bellatrix Lestrange - the fake one, fortunately - yelled at him.

 _What?! Seriously?!_

"Ron, it's me!" he said, trying to push the wand away.

A Stinging hex hit his neck.

"Ouch! It hurts, you moron!" Neville exclaimed and reached to rub the tender skin on his throat.

"It's Snape, Ron! Neville would never call us morons but Snape did that all the time!" Harry called from his crouched position above Snape.

"Merlin, I am sorry for that! Just listen to me! Ask me anything!" Neville tried to explain and not start to yell at his two friends. They had no time for this...

"Stun and tie him up, he would just use Legillimency anyway to get the answers!" Harry adviced Ron and tenderly tended to Snape with the Murtlap Essence - or "I HAVE WOUNDS ON MY SKIN" how it was labelled. He was in for a fright and Neville could not help himself but to look forward to see it, wicked as it was. If Ron wouldn't kill him till then, that was it.

"We are camped together in a safehouse by the Loch Lomond. Today we had chocolate frogs for lunch. Ron has one of them still in his pocket, not even he knows that because I put it there without him noticing. I didn't look anyone in the eyes. It's me, Neville!" he said, looking up from his feet to Ron who started searching his pockets. He took the boy's wand from him with no resistance.

A bit of food and Ron is helpless against anyone.

"Funny as this exchange is, it's getting dangerous. The dragon is waking up. That one is Longbottom and you, Potter, should better keep your hands off me if you wish them to remain attached to your body," rasped Snape tiredly, surprising them all.

Maybe he would say something more if Harry hadn't removed him from his lap so energetically that he ended up hitting his head hard against the stone floor which obviously knocked him unconscious.

"Sorry, Neville, I... We... just didn't reckon you could win... Erm, _would_ do this to Snape," Ron apologized sheepishly, shrugging.

 _Merlin's beard..._

"Never mind that now. The dragon is really waking up. I destroyed the Horcrux, our job is finished here. Let's go back," he finally said what he wanted to say ever since arriving here.

The news about the successful mission instantly improved everyone's mood so even Harry - who was just recovering from his shock of nearly cuddling with Snape - smiled widely and ran to him to clap his back.

"Great job, Neville! Let's go then! Griphook, we need to get back now," Harry requested and got in the tiny mine cart again, followed closely by Ron who was obviously as keen to shed his fake skin as Neville was.

"We need to take Snape too," Neville called on them so they would not leave him behind.

"Why?" both of them said, unisimo.

"The dragon would eat him! He is unarmed and unconscious! " Neville explained the obvious.

"That is not a problem, he deserves that and much worse after what he had done. Hurry up!" Ron yelled at him, evidently not about to help.

 _Oh, damn him and his stupid Unbreakable Vow and the even more stupid life dept..._

"I can't leave him here. He is going with us," he claimed, trying to sound confident so that the others would not try to dissuade him any further.

He leviated, silenced, petrified and disillusioned the man as quickly as he could and with no glance at the stunned faces of his friends he boarded the cart, pushing himself into the tiny space and then squeezing Snape's thin and burned body into it too.

"I am not mad. I would explain if I could. I can't. Just trust me, please," he said, praying they would just let it go as they did with so many other matters.

Luckily, after shooting him a few more strange looks, they did exactly that.

* * *

He felt twenty pounds lighter as soon as he finally saw the hut and passed through it's wards.

 _They made it, alive and almost uninjured. They destroyed the Horcrux._

 _Bellatrix Lestrange is dead._

 _He avenged his parents. He actually managed to avenge his parents!_

 _It won't return their sanity to them but on the other hand, it very much ensured the crazy witch will not do that to anyone anymore._

He felt the corners of his mouth going up at that thought.

The problematic part today would be just dealing with a half-dead Snape. Again. He shivered at his last memory of helping the man get better and that was with Hermione doing all of it. Now it was everything on him and with Ron and Harry only complicating the whole thing...

This day could get bloody awful yet.

* * *

"I told you to hold him down, Ron!"

"I did! He's just wrenched out!"

"Hold him so he won't wrench out!"

"You two, keep him still! I will pour it down his-"

"Ouch!"

"Harry! Nev! Grab his arm and-"

"Ow! Damn!"

A bone snapped in the slim arm under his weigh and he cringed at the sound, lifting himself up a bit to relieve the pressure and expecting the man to show some sign of being hurt and maybe stop this madness at least for a few seconds. No such luck; as soon as he loosened his grip, the sharp elbow shot up and landed onto his stomach, knocking Neville back - again.

"Ron! I-" he didn't have enough breath in him left to finish the sentence. Fortunately, Ron got the message and took his place, holding the man down by his entire - and quite considerable - weight. Still, Snape didn't seem to notice the newly broken limb at all and continued in his furious twisting and struggling that hurt both him and them.

 _Merlin!_

He knew it wouldn't be easy but he hadn't suspected the man to fight so hard against this! _It was just a few potions! What was more, he brewed them himself-_

 _Or was there something wrong with the potions? Did he switch something with poison? For Harry to drink, perhaps? And now he didn't want to get poisoned himself?_

 _Maybe he was not on their side after all..._

 _But Hermione trusted him, damn. He didn't know anyone more clever than her. He should trust her even as he did not entirely trust the professor..._

Grabbing a new bottle of "I AM IN PAIN, I WILL GET DROWSY AFTER THIS" with new resolve, he seized the man's burned jaw and with no regard to his injuries or firmly gritted teeth Neville forcefully pried the bottle into his mouth, pouring some of its content in, and then clasped his hand over the Death Eater's mouth and nose with all his - or Snape's, as he was still occuping his body - strength.

 _Either the man will suffocate or swallow._

 _Fuck, with his obstinaci he would surely choose the first. But then he would probably faint first and then swallow against his will out of sheer survival instinct._

It took minutes of mad trashing but he didn't let go, not even after getting hit and kicked when his friends hadn't managed to hold down a limb for a second.

He was just about to let the man go when he heard and saw the man gulp.

Immediately, he let his hand drop from his nose. After a few seconds, there was a shallow raise of his bony chest and Neville grinned, looking at his two friend with the air of victory.

The man seemed to fall asleep at last.

 _Phew!_

"Incancerous!" he said, binding the man.

"He will get away from it again as soon as he wakes up!" Ron remarked, massaging his bruised cheek.

"Maybe. It could not hurt to try, though."

"Hell, it hurt a lot to try!" observed Harry, limping closer to look at Snape from above.

"So we will keep him doped till we figure out what to do with him. Perhaps we should use more spells at once too..." Neville trailed off.

"Brachiabindo!"

"Petrificuls Totalus!"

"Locomotor Mortis!"

"Ron, please go and fetch a rope from the hut, we can try to do it without magic as well," said Harry, pointing towards the hut.

"Hell, what got into him? I know he is a crazy traitor and... But... He had to know we were just trying to help," Harry added a few seconds later, watching the rigid and tightly tied body of the man. He really had changed a lot during his stay at the Fortress to say something like that...

"He gets suicidal when he is injured, I saw it already," Neville answered without thinking and his breath got stuck in his chest at the realization.

 _DAMN!_

 _But he was still alive, he couldn't have said too much. It was good, it was good..._

Ron - fortunately - hadn't probably noticed anything odd, too focused on his task to wrap the thick rope around the professor with as little physical contact as possible. However, Harry immediately shot him a look, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

 _It was NOT good!_

"What? When? How do you-"

A loud bang resounded nearby, startling all three of them and making him reach for his wand.

Apparition.

Looking quickly for the source of the sound, he nearly lauged out in pure happiness.

 _Hermione! The exact person he needed to see the most right now! The only one who could save the situation!_

 _Merlin, yes!_

Running towards her, he glimpsed Ron and Harry exchanging shocked looks and following him quickly.

They all hugged the surprised girl and he was just about to pat her shoulder and greet her when he met her eyes, hard and mistrustful. The next second, he was blasted away, landing on his back and hitting the back of his head.

 _Maybe he should have talked first_ , he surmised even as the black spots in front of his eyes merged with each other, making darkness claim all his conscious thoughts.

* * *

 _Neville didn't die because of his slip due to the sentence being a lie - it was just their hypothesis that Snape was suicidal because he was injured but he was simply trying to save Hermione by ending his life. A short explanation for those who don't remember the even that well anymore :-)_

 _I also figured that Neville deserves to kill Bella much more than Mrs Weasley did for what she has done to him (although I know it's not really about deserving) so I indulged myself and gave it to him when I got the chance. You can hate me for it but it just feels right to me :-)_

 _The next chapter will be told by Severus._

 _I had to finish this text without any English spell check whatsoever so sorry if it is even more rubbish than usual!_

 _I love you all, guys - those of you who review I can love by name, though!_


	67. Chapter 67

_Hi guys!_

 _I am not dead - although I sometimes seem to be - and here is another little proof of that. Thank you so much for being patient with me and giving me time - that my daughters do not._

 _This one is dedicated for those of you who remind me I have some responsibilities as an author too - namely to_ **cha-chris, MoraDreamWeaver,** **Lianore,** **kagomeLove2,** **dethwatch, Pirocantha** and especially to **aliciana.** Thank you so much for being here with me! **  
**

 _Love to you all!_

* * *

CHAPTER 67

Severus was pretending to focus on perusing one of the books he had considered long gone from this world - the ancient volume of _Potagia Potenta_ by Wulfric Longbeard - while keeping an eye on a certain giggling crazy witch that could go into a fit at any time and, most importantly, trying to wordlessly, wandlessly and without even looking that way disentangle the threads of spells that protected the Horcrux placed about twelve yards to his left.

 _This has to work out. He's spent just too much time with this to not work out, planning and preparing carefully each and every little step. He has to break the spells inconspicuously, replace the cup with the fake one he has in his pocket, hide the real one, recast the curses and be gone, all without being noticed by the owner of the vault who was watching him like a hawk all the time.  
_

 _Not a piece of cake; or at least not his favorite flavor. But he has to. He has to succeed and return to Hermione._

A bead of sweat started to form on his forehead and he cursed silently his traitorous body; it was hot in the enclosed space so Bella might attribute it to that if she noticed but he knew it was the direct result of the exertion he was making to deceive the protective magic all around him. He would definitely take a shower before returning home.

 _He has to return to Hermione._

 _And he will,_ Severus concluded as he felt the main layer of the wards loosen while Bellatrix still kept shooting him her favorite glares, not even looking in the way of the Horcrux.

The corners of his mouth nearly went up - in his mind only, of course, he was not such a milksop - when the three cretins barged in.

It took him about two seconds to deduce who exactly they were - and that was surely not him, Bella and old Rod. The someone who pretended to be the long dead Rodolphus was carrying a bag that Severus had purchased about four months prior in a Muggle shop in order to give it to the Potter brat and his cronies after he had magically accommodated it to serve to store all the necessary and useful items he had gathered for them. Plus the person had that bumpy way to his gait that it could be no one else than the brat himself.

The identity of the other two was not very hard to guess then; the alternate Bella was surely Weasley and the slightly more careful but equally dumbly looking Severus Snape was bound to be Longbottom. _Damn, he knew he should have left that boy in the cell... All of them, actually._

 _Fuck!_

He expected many possibilities; Bella starting to fire curses at him out of the blue, some additional set of strong wards, raising an alarm by accident, the cup being concealed and so on and on but he never predicted being here just when someone else tried to loot the vault and that 'that someone' would by the Chosen One himself.

 _Fuck, this is not going well._

 _But he HAS_ _TO return back to Hermione. And be able to look her in the eye._

So he grabbed his wand and started casting protective spells and conjuring invisible barriers wordlessly to save the brats from the bitch while shouting out aloud the incantations for Unforgettables and other offensive curses that came to his mind and emerged with the same color. With some luck, they will be able to stun or otherwise disable the witch - then he would surrender to them himself or let them stun him but now they needed his help to overpower her.

Fuck, he could do that himself and easily, she was distracted enough, but it would blow his cover immediately... And then no memory charm would work as her mind had been destroyed beyond any possibility of repair already and would likely not hold together at all when anything would be erased. He just had to appear to be fighting on her side. Still, they were basically four to one, they should prevail with no difficulty...

 _Shit, they are not four to one_ , he surmised as another jet of light landed next to his head. The moron Weasley obviously decided him to be the bigger threat and fired at him only, Longbottom - who was the only one he counted on to not try to kill him so vehemently - had cast only one spell so far, missing, and Potter seemed to be in some kind of shock, not fighting at all and only covering behind a very fragile bookshelf.

 _Maybe he should just quickly grab the cup - he felt the wards yield a few seconds ago - and clear off. But then the bitch would kill or arrest the morons and that would be a certain setback in his plan. Plus it would make Hermione sad and that was wholly unacceptable._

 _Why are they not doing anything?!_ he despaired, having his hands full with protecting himself and the three morons, just as Longbottom finally collected his balls from wherever he had forgotten them again and stood up to face the witch. And got hit within three seconds.

 _God, why again did he chose this side of the war...?_ Severus sighed mentally as he watched Longbottom be tortured and burned. He could do nothing to help the boy as every potential curse that would aid him would be just too obviously coming from him.

Soon, it became clear that he would have to choose to either protect his cover or protect the boy.

 _Fuck!_

 _Another sacrifice to the old fool's Greater Good. At least he was considered dead already; no one would really know except from Potter and Weasley. And Hermione..._ But then the image of her hugging Longbottom and smiling at him as they had parted three months ago played in front of his very same that kept replying in his nightmares, preceding the one where she told she would leave with the boy.

 _Damn. His jealousy aside, she cared about him. He was her friend... There was no greater good than Hermione._

Breathing in, he flicked his wand to expel the three boys from the vault, closed the door and turned to Bella.

 _Shit, she had a small baby waiting for her at home. She might be a bitch but she still was a mother..._

"I am sorry, Bella," he told her, although it really meant nothing. The kid would never hear it... He saw her eyes widen in realization.

"Snape! You fucker!" she screamed at him and that was when the Hell had begun.

She might be the craziest witch in Britain but she was certainly the fastest too - when she wasn't laughing at least - probably due to her way thinking; or the lack of it. She fired and never thought what and where. It was like fighting a maelstrom, unpredictable and wild.

But he could overpower her under normal circumstances. He always had before.

 _But now he HAS to win. He HAS to return home. The baby would probably not survive if he died because the subsequent pain from Hermione's mark would most likely make her abort. He couldn't do that to the baby. It was hers. His. THEIRS!_

The shelf next to him exploded then and some of the smaller objects sizzled against the revealed flesh on his upper neck, startling him and making him move his head to protect the rest of his skin instinctively.

Fuck, there was no time to get distracted!

Another jet of pain went through him as gold coins scattered in all directions, hitting him and multiplying with lighting speed. Burning him.

Shit, he hated being burned. Sure, it happened rather often to him due to his profession; the fact that he was spending most of his time near flames while brewing. But he never had got used to this - the feeling of his flesh being eaten by the flames, shooting agony through his whole body that it strove to consume. And it was leaving scars; he had enough of those already.

"Crucio!"

FUCK! Severus swore silently when he failed to dodge the curse, his worries about being burned diminished considerably even as the gold started to bury him alive. Not only his skin but his nerves too were in fire, the agony consuming all his coherent thoughts; except for the one about his girl. He had to return home to her... Hermione.

It took an eternity but finally the curse was lifted and he dimly heard the familiar laughing fit of the crazy witch - bitch.

 _Maybe that was how the word was created. Bella, the witch, slowly became Bella, the bitch..._

 _Funny how human mind worked at its edge,_ Snape thought idly as he observed his own musings and tried to not lose consciousness, the gold over and around him making his breathing a very hard chore while his burning skin and the after-effects of the curse were still shooting jets of pain through his whole body.

Finally, the curse was lifted and he let his body lie limply on the floor, collecting his strength and playing along with Bella's obvious assumption that he was dead or at least unconscious. He could hear she was currently trying to respell the vault; then she would likely go to kill or arrest or torture - or maybe all of it - the three dunderheads.

Not that they would not deserve that but he rather hoped they were well on their way back to his safe house by the lake. Still, one way or another, he could not let Bella go after what had happened in here; she would tell the monster of his betrayal and then he would be killed. He couldn't afford that - he had to go back to Hermione, no matter what.

It should be not a big problem now; he had lost his wand somewhere around here but he and no reason for any stealth any more. It would pain him to destroy the precious cup but beggars can't be choosers...

Braving himself to burn the vault - and not very happy about it as he _really_ hated the curse - he focused to conjure the damned fire and then, what was more difficult, divert the flames from his body. And maybe the _Potagia Potenta too..._

But then timid footsteps echoed a few yards to his left and he nearly sighed out aloud.

 _Fucking Longbottom._

Yes, he was sure it was him. Had it been Potter, he would not be that careful and would probably have started firing spells already. Had it been Weasley, he would not stop so suddenly at seeing him, evidently startled - he would more likely laugh at that. And he very much doubted Potter would lend the cloak to anyone else beside those two or Hermione.

 _Longbottom... He could actually use this one... And get rid of him at the same time. He had enough reason to want to kill Bella with no doubt._

So he addressed the boy, spooking him so much that he immediately regretted it as it could alert the bitch.

"Don't stare at me and kill her, Longbottom. Kill her and run. You won't get a better chance and you deserve it more than most. Cast Fiendfyre, run and lock the door," he ordered, hoping against all his experience that the young man would just listen.

He did and Snape couldn't help himself to not sneer at seeing the crazy menace go away from this world.

 _Fuck, she was still a mother..._

 _Sentiments away, he had to focus._

Breathing in and closing his eyes, he willed the flames to avoid his body - and the book too. He felt it was not a particularly strong curse so he was certain they would bend to him.

But then a hand wrapped around his torso, startling him and making him swear.

"Fuck you, Longbottom! Let go of me this very instant, you moron!" he yelled at the boy even though he very much doubted he would be heard over the roar of the flames.

He might have disabled the boy to make him drop him but then the boy would burn here; he probably would not manage to protect both of them wandlessly in time.

"Shit!"

 _Goodbye forever, Potagia Potenta..._

So he at least made sure the flames did not swallow them as they were nearing towards the exit even though he was sure that he would much rather stay on this side of the door than on the other as it held Potter too.

 _Fucking Potter, fucking Weasley and twice as fucking Longbottom._

As soon as they exited the vault, he was dropped unceremoniously on the stone floor, effectively winding him which made him endure fucking Potter touching him and, admittedly, rather amusing trialogue.

He would have to pour something very strong on his face as soon as he would get the chance. A gallon of pure sulphuric acid maybe could do the trick.

Then he heard the telltale snorting of a waking dragon, suddenly giving him further motivation to collect himself as it was surely pissed as hell after what Bella had done to it. He did not want to be burned again, properly this time.

As soon as he could fill his lungs with air and felt like he could actually say something, he told the obviously oblivious brats.

"Funny as this exchange is, it's getting dangerous. The dragon is waking up. That one is Longbottom and you, Potter, should better keep your hands off me if you wish them to remain attached to your body."

He saw the dread on Potter face forming and maliciously promised to himself to never forget that expression. Too bad that he didn't get to see it for long as he was thrown forcibly - which was only good because he really couldn't wait to break off the contact - and hit his head, losing awareness of what happened around him.

* * *

When he came around, he immediately regretted he had for the pain in his head and, mainly, because he was lying on the bottom of a cart looking up straight under the skirt of Bella's - Weasley's - dress. He swallowed a few times laboriously, fighting the urge to vomit.

 _Merlin, he so hoped to never see that, ever, especially after her death._

He was petrified and silenced. So he became a hostage of sorts. Captive. They probably want to question him too. The view was probably meant as a sort of torture.

 _Fuck_.

Of course, he could break free of the curses and run. He would not even have to run - it would be just enough to let anyone know he was there - but then the three cretins would be arrested and probably sent to the Fortress rather than to the Ministry - not that it was not about the same these times - complicating his already busy schedule considerably as HE would be certainly the one to free them again.

So he kept silent and let himself be transported to the house that he had inherited from his grandfather. It was nothing special and rather shabby but he could not get rid of it as it reminded him of the very few things that were good about his childhood; his fishing trips with the man there were surely that.

Plus it was heavily warded and could be used to hide just about anyone - he was the secret keeper of the Fidelius Charm so he knew only the three boys, him and Hermione were allowed inside. The boys would certainly notice him being keyed to the wards and would not kill him on the spot after arriving there. Hopefully.

As soon as they crossed the boundaries of the property, the morons started to cheer and congratulate each other so he was deposited - probably still considered unconscious - on the ground in front of the hut; surprisingly in quite gentle way which was more the wonder because Longbottom was the one to levitate him there. He was astonished the boy could even cast Wingardium, let alone passably. It was first year stuff after all, way beyond his skills...

Potter ran into the house and from the excited squeaks that followed it was clear that he told the house elves of their success.

"Come on, Nev! We deserve some celebration after that one!"

"I can't, I need to watch Snape," Longbottom replied and waved his wand over him to make him visible again.

 _Damn! At least he managed to close his eyes in time to play unconscious.  
_

 _"_ And heal him too. He doesn't look well..."

 _Holy Merlin's shit! Healing from that morons!? No! Not that!_

"He survived up till now, he will survive a few minutes more. I don't care either way anyway. Now let's go, I am hungry!" Weasley said, making Severus reconsider his opinion about the boy's eternal appetite being annoying when he was left alone.

 _Finally._

Focusing on the binding curse and ignoring the Silencio - casting wandlessly and voicelessly was difficult, he was tired already, had only little time and didn't need his voice for Aparition anyway - he managed to dispel it in a few minutes.

His head still swam a bit, he was burned and exhausted after both the torture curse and all the wandless magic but he only had a few moments for this - he had seen Weasley wolf down food before and it was a very quick and disgusting affair - so there was no time to rest.

He had nearly made it to the anti-apparition wards.

"Harry! He is running!"

"There!"

"Stupefy!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Flipendo!" Weasley screamed, finally managing to land a good hit and knocking him down.

 _OUCH!_

Severus landed on his back, scratching his palms when he tried to soften the impact. He immediately tried to sit up but was stalled by a wand - the very same he had pressed into the boys hands when he had freed him - aimed at his neck.

"You won't run from me again, you coward!" Potter spat, breathing hard after his own run to capture him.

 _In his own house, Merlin!_

"Tie him up so he won't try that again," Weasley suggested and Potter promptly obeyed.

"Harry, maybe that is not necessary. We should maybe rather heal him..." Longbottom said but was interrupted before he could finish.

"If we leave him free and heal him, the traitor will kill us all, Neville. We are lucky he is like that so he choose to run instead of attacking us. Besides, he is fine enough if he can run," Weasley said, kicking him in his ribs for good measure and effectively winding him.

 _Fucking asshole!_

"Ron! You can't do that. He is unarmed and-"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Potter said, making his body freeze into a fixed position.

 _Damn them all._

"Why do you care so much anyway, Nev? It's quite weird, you know. It's only Death Eater scum!"

"He killed Dumbledore, Neville! I saw it myself. We should have left him there by the vault..." Potter said, making Severus admit that he actually agreed with the boy, probably for the first and hopefully the last time in his life. He would rather face ten dragons than one Potter...

"I am sorry I can't tell you why but he needs to stay alive..." Longbottom said, watching him nervously and pulling at his collar to loosen it.

"You are saying that quite often, you know. You told us nothing about a lot of important things and we never pressed you but this..."

"Yes, tell us why, Neville!"

Severus saw that Longbottom started to sweat, the drops collecting on his forehead.

"Ehm... To start with, we should interrogate him. He knows a lot about everything, I bet _he_ could answer every question that you have. But first we need to heal him so he won't die on us before answering. Alright?" Longbottom asked, eyeing his friends uncertainly. The other boys nodded to that after a few moments, although reluctantly.

 _That was quite well played, the moron wasn't that stupid after all... But he was still screwed._

"Fine, you two watch him and I will fetch the potions," Weasley said and Severus froze.

 _They could not brew a thing themselves, they had to know it - or at least HE tried to tell them for years. So they meant his potions that he had given them. He could safely digest only two from those, both of which were not for healing..._

 _Fuck!_

He tried to dispel the curse on him again in haste so he could escape from this.

 _Shit, how he longed to kill the morons instead!_

"Here, that should work on about everything," Weasley said, bringing the whole familiar Muggle bag, and pressed a bottle of general healing potion into Longbottom's hands who neared to him to administrate it. In other words, to poison him while looking like he was giving him a Christmas present.

Fortunately, the binding curse finally broke at that moment and he managed to knock the vial out of his hands, smashing it. He was only a few yards from the boundaries so he plunged that way.

Two sets of strong hands grabbed him and then the struggle began.

 _Shit!_ He obviously underestimated the dunderheads; they were idiots but even idiots could be strong. And he was not that well; injured, with his muscles already strained to their limits and his magic weakened. He managed to land only a few feeble hits.

But then he felt his hand breaking under Longbottom's weight and he used the boy's distraction so that he nearly got away. Nearly.

The boy then managed to pour the strong painkiller - and _Severuskiller_ \- down his throat, obstructing his breathing in effort to make him swallow.

 _Fuck! What a stupid way to die; killed by the saviors of the world who only wanted to do good while they selflessly tried to heal him. Poor them would now have his filthy life on their conscience... On his own property. Just after he had saved their lives...  
_

 _But he couldn't die; he had to return back home, to Hermione. Dying would hurt her. It would hurt their child as well, probably killing him or her too..._

 _FUCK!_

For the first time in years he truly started to fear for his life - not because of himself but it made little difference right now. It made him fight twice as fiercely to free himself from the boy's grasp but he seemed as resolved to hold him as Severus was to escape.

 _Shit! He was going to die here, poisoned by his own potion that he actually needed. He could not overpower them, depleted as he was. He could not repel them magically. He could do nothing..._

 _Except calling her. Bringing the two most precious people in the world here and endangering them even as he had sworn to protect them at all cost.  
_

 _Damn, he had promised to never do that and he was also sure she would not like it but hopefully it was still better for her than the pain she was unprepared for. Maybe she would regret loosing the baby as well..._

 _Maybe she would not come anyway, deciding to ignore the summons. But at least it would be some kind of warning for her; he had no other mean to communicate with her at his disposal..._

As gently as he could, he found the strings of dark magic that he knew were attached to Hermione's mark and cautiously pulled at them, guiding her to him. Summoning her. _  
_

 _Fuck, he thought he would never have to do that. If anything happens to her here or on the way, it will be only his fault. He is not fit to keep her safe..._

 _But he had to protect the baby too. He had to try it. If she did not want to come, she would not have to. Still, she deserved the chance to decide._

Letting go of the dark bond that he had tied her with, he felt his mind slipping into void as his oxygen deprived brain stopped registering and reflecting.

Seconds later, he swallowed the painkiller without ever knowing about it.

* * *

"No, you can't just go like that, Mione, we-"

"Are you realizing you are actually choosing _Snape_ over _us?_ Are you crazy?!

The loud voices around him made his pounding head feel like it was three times as big, pulsing with pain that shot spasms through his whole body, centering around his stomach. He gasped quietly, not being able to hold the sound back.

 _Merlin, he felt awful. And he was lying on something soft and floating..._

"I don't have time for this! I told you I've got to go. Now!"

 _That voice... That was Hermione's voice._

 _Hermione... He had to protect her._

He opened his eyes, the light shooting another surge of pain through his eyes straight into his head.

"We are going with you then! To protect you!" Potter yelled, stepping in front of the girl and he nearly closed his eyes again to better fight with the pain.

"I don't need your help or protection! Right now I need you to move away and let me go so I can help _him!"_ Hermione gesticulated towards him, not noticing him being awake and looking angry as hell.

 _What has happened in here?_

"C'mon! That's not you!" Weasley screamed, "What has he done to you?!"

"She is Imperioed! Everything she did would make sense then!" Potter said, turning to Weasley who nodded.

"I don't think she is-" Longbottom tried to inject and moved to stand between the two boys and the girl. No one even looked at him, obviously not listening.

Weasley pointed his wand at Hermione then and Severus moved his hands to cast Protego wandlessly - and voicelessly, no one bothered to cancel the Silencio on him yet - but he was too slow, noticing the movement only when it was too late as most of the red haired boy was hidden from him by Hermione's lithe form.

He felt his heart was pumping blood in a crazy pace, fear filling and squeezing his chest.

 _He could not protect her._

"Finite Incantatem!" Weasley said and all of the boys froze for some reason, suddenly silent and unmoving.

 _Fuck! What have they done to her?!_

 _He is going to kill them, one after another. Weasley first._

He tried to sit up so he could climb down from the stretcher. _If he could not curse them fast enough, he will strangle them with his own hands if they touch only a hair on her head..._

"Merlin, Hermione..." Weasley said, "You look... awful!"

 _WHAT?! No one will speak like that to his witch!_

Severus slid down the stretcher and gripped it's edge to keep himself standing, trembling both with the exertion and anger.

"What has happened to you?!" Potter asked dumbly.

"Hermione, are you... are you pregnant?" Longbottom said quietly and miraculously everyone seemed to listen to him at once as it broke a dam of stupid question and outraged comments that shot bolts of pain through his aching brain.

 _Was Potter pregnant too or what?!_

Hermione stood quietly, still rigid, her back turned to him, not saying a word to defend herself.

He cringed, the pain from his stomach and head nearly unbearable, but still he made himself stand and move next to her, ready to provide any support that she would want. He glimpsed her way to ascertain her feelings about this exchange and was instantly infuriated by the tears he noticed sliding down her face.

 _The brats will pay for this..._

Her skin was also very pale and sickly. Furthermore, she appeared to have lost another few pounds... _Damn, that couldn't have happened in the few hours he hadn't seen her._

 _Fuck, it was probably the Glamor he had sensed on her in the last few weeks; he hadn't asked about it as it was quite normal for witches to use it instead of make-up because it was much less time consuming and more durable. On a level it had even flattered him that she had bothered to cast it as she was only seeing him all day... Sure, she didn't need it at all, being the most beautiful creature in the world, but it felt good to know that she cared about her appearance around him.  
_

 _What a total moron he was._

 _She was obviously using it to conceal her loss of weight, pale and unhealthy looking skin and the slightly protuberant belly, that was only more visible on her thin figure. His old adjusted shirt and trousers, that hugged her form so nicely, did nothing to hide it..._

Her friends kept shouting questions at her but she acted as if she had not heard them, only crying silently and watching them gesticulate wildly at her and him.

After a few seconds, Weasley launched at her, probably trying to tear her out of her stupor, grabbing her forcibly by her arm and shaking her and Severus stopped thinking clearly then.

 _No one will hurt his witch._

His fist landed on the brat's jaw and his knee on the red head's stomach, making him bend over and slide down to the ground which he managed to quicken by a well aimed kick to his kneecap.

Someone hit him with a curse but he didn't care.

 _You will die for this, you fucking pile of shi-!_

"Severus! Stop! Stop this!"

One of the yelling voices finally registered in his brain as a delicate hand had wrapped around his elbow, pulling gently.

The fog in his head cleared somewhat and he blinked a few times, breathing hard.

A Cutting Curse sliced at his chest then and he had to fight hard to stay calm. _The morons could have hit HER!_

"Ron! Stop that too! He is dying!"

 _"Dying?_ He fucking doesn't look like dying to me! And he started it!"

"I don't care who started it, Ron! I am not your mother! And now move away, we need to go back home!"

"What?! Home?! Together?!"

"So you are living with HIM? At Hogwarts?! What? Why?"

"I don't have time for this, we are going," Hermione ordered and his legs started moving on their own accord although he very much wanted to stay and kill them all even now. But then she turned to him suddenly and he just managed to raise his eyebrow in question.

"Not you!" she said, her still teary eyes somewhat softening the strict tone.

 _Why not him? She said they are going home!_

But his confusion lasted only a fragment of a second as she levitated him back to the stretcher and then waved her wand over his head resolutely, putting him to sleep.

* * *

Tender hands were dabbing some balm on his chest and he sighed, relishing in the touch. Her touch. There was no doubt it was her as nobody else had ever touched him like this; it was like having a set of tender and lazy butterflies dancing slowly on his skin, tingling and teasing in that uniquely erotic and innocent way that belonged to her only. Furthermore, he felt well rested and nothing hurt him anymore.

 _If only he could stay like that forever..._

But he could not. His cock would show exactly how much he liked this in only a few short moments and he didn't really want her to see that.

As soon as he opened his eyes, she met them with hers, blushing slightly and smiling which made his heart beat even faster. She really was the most beautiful woman on Earth, pale or not.

 _Merlin, how he loved her at that moment..._

He was lying on the bed in the main bedroom at their home. Spinner's End. She had done it; she had brought him home and she looked fine. He smiled back at her, more happy at that moment than he could possibly tell.

"Thank you," he said and really meant it. She had patched him up again - at her own risk even - and had done an exceptional job at it, as usual.

She blushed even more at that but never broke the eye contact.

"You are welcome," she answered quietly and somehow managed to make it sound unbelievably sexy. But then, nearly everything she had ever said sounded sexy because it was HER saying it...

Maybe it was also the fact that she never removed her hand from his naked chest, letting it rest there, touching and warming up his scared skin. He observed her hand, her slim and elegant fingers and delicate wrist and marveled both at the perfection of her every little part and the easiness with which she acted around him now.

And the she kissed him.

He nearly gasped in surprise for he had not expected it, distracted with their skin contact as he had been. An explosion of questions and speculations was set off in his brain as soon as their lips touched.

He knew she had always showed him the most affection whenever he had been injured and that she had possibly a thing for scars and blood and damaged men but that really was not normal. This was not normal. She should not be behaving like that. It was insane...

Damn, she WAS insane. How could she be not?

She saw a lot of violence, was a long time captive and a rape victim with no prior sexual experience; it was bound to leave a mark on her. He had left just too many marks on her and she had no one to help her; no professional mind healer to make her feel better, not even a friend to whom she could tell about the whole bloody mess that had happened to her.

Maybe she even believed she actually fancied him but he knew that was just a method of coping with the assault. If she pretended she liked him, the rape would lose its brutal edge in her memories...

He once heard Dren Wolf talking about a condition that Muggles called "Stockholm Syndrome" and it fitted perfectly to this; her alliance with him even as he was her captor, her previous behavior by the hut where she had chosen him over her three best friends, her smiles and, eventually, this false attraction to him. But it was just a survival strategy. It wouldn't last.

One day she would get better; maybe tomorrow, maybe in a year but it didn't really matter. As soon as she would realize that she had been used when she had not been well, she would hate him - more than ever before - and with a very good reason. And though he longed with his whole soul to be touched and kissed by her, he valued her friendship - or how he liked to call their current easy relationship in his head - even more.

It was much more important to do what was good for her than what was good to him...

So he broke the kiss and pushed her hand away, gently but resolutely, even as it broke his heart to do that.

"You shouldn't have done that, back there by the lake. And you shouldn't have done this either," he told her calmly to let her know he was not angry and that he considered this to be just a common mistake in judgement.

He saw that she froze for a moment, her beautiful hazel eyes getting watery. Then, without a word, she rose, ran from the room and slammed the door behind her.

 _Fuck._

* * *

 _I don't like Ron that much and I am sorry if I portrayed him a bit too rough here; in my opinion, he was always the weakest member of the trio and not a very good friend and I couldn't help myself to not project it into this story. Sorry to all who like the guy!_

 _Anyway, the next chapter is going to be Hermione's and is about half way done so it shouldn't take me so much time to finish like this one. Hope you will be patient with me again..._

 _Thank you so much for your time (and reviews? Please?)!_


	68. Chapter 68

_There is a bit of repetition in this chapter but I still think it was rather important to include as it meant a big step in Hermione's way of thinking about Severus. Hope you will like it :-)_

 _Thank you for all your support and wonderful words!_

 _Dedicated to_ _ **Stellarwind27** :-)_

* * *

CHAPTER 68

Three unfamiliar pairs of hands wrapped tightly around Hermione and she felt her heart racing, speeding up its beats from their already very quick pace, as pure panic gripped her by her chest and throat, constricting it and suffocating her as much as the foreign arms did.

 _Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange with Severus? Here? What?_

She had no idea of what was happening but one thing became clear very quickly; whoever this was, it was not Severus - she realized that as soon as she managed to take a breath. He didn't smell right. No trace for the usual smoky and herbal scent that was so typical for him; instead, he smelt like canned tomato soup and a bit of lemon that probably came from the detergent his robes had been washed by. Plus, Severus would not touch her in this way, let alone hug her like that; he had never done so. Somehow, he seemed to sense that ever since the Fortress she had issues with close and unexpected physical contact.

This person had to be Polyjuiced then. They all probably were as she could not imagine Bellatrix or Rodolphus wanting to hug her any more than she would want to hug them.

If this was not Severus, the man must be somewhere else because she had been surely called by him and not this impersonator. He didn't come to her so he had to be in trouble. If those people, whomever they were, did not help him and probably caused his problems, they were probably not on their side...

Thoughts were swirling in her head and the arms around her were just too tight, suffocating. One of them rose and hit her back and the sudden impact was what had set her off completely, on edge as she was already.

Raising her wand, she cast "Flippendo" voicelessly as to not alert them of her intention to remove the strangling limbs from her body. Relief flooded her whole body as soon as she saw three bodies fly a few yards away from her, landing in the bushes that surrounded the small hut and groaning.

 _Damn, she did not know who they were but they surely were not who they appeared to be. She would immobilize them and wait till the Polyjuice wore off as she had no time to brew anything to turn them back. She had to find Severus..._

"Petrificus Totalus!" she pronounced three times, pointing at each of the three people, and quickly began searching the property.

She found Severus in only a few seconds, a short way from the boundaries of the Anti-Apparition wards.

 _Merlin, he looks like Hell!_

The man was nearly unrecognizable due to his burnt skin and damaged clothes but she could tell from his hair and shoes that it really was him.

Without a pause, she knelt by him and started diagnosing and treating him even as the smell of burned flesh provoked her uneasy stomach to yet another bout of nausea.

 _Come on, kid! It's your daddy now who needs me!_ she thought offhandedly while she busied her hands and wand with various healing charms. It didn't take long to correct most of the obvious damage; the all-present burns, two broken bones in his hand and cracked ribs.

Still, there was the poisoning to deal with. It would kill him in an hour if she would not manage to brew the antidote in time...

At least she knew what it was caused by; although there was a broken vial of the General Healing potion too, the bottle with the last few drops of the strong version of Pain Killing potion lay only a few feet from Severus limp form and she could still smell it on him as it was smeared on his skin and clothes too. Just to be sure, she leaned over his face and indeed, she could smell the typical residue of the brew on his lips and breath as well.

 _Why would he drink it when he knew it is dangerous? Plus he usually dealt well with pain and never even complained about it..._

 _Unless somebody had forced him to drink it_ , she assumed, looking at the three bound bodies and noticing two of them had their eyes open, staring at her bewilderingly.

One familiar pair of bright green and one of light blue eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat.

 _Damn._

Now she knew very well who those two wizards were. She even expected to be really happy once she would see them again.

 _Only she wasn't._

She wasn't ready for them, for their questions. She wasn't prepared to explain...

She swallowed laboriously, her own too tight throat fighting against her.

Her first instinct was to grab Severus and run back home, without a glance back. Yet, she couldn't do that; it was just too cowardly and the boys deserved better. It was her fault they had been captured after all...

So she took a deep breath and raised the wand that she had been using to heal Severus' ribs to cancel the spell on the three boys.

"Hi, Ron, Harry and Neville. I am sorry, I didn't recognize you," she tried to apologize while she still busied her hands with healing. Glimpsing up to the man's face, she saw his eyes still closed and the last bubble of hope burst then - it would be so much easier to let HIM explain...

As soon as the curse had been lifted from the boys - now she could see clearly they really were Neville, Ron and Harry although the last two seemed much thinner than when she had seen them last - they started to get up, stretching and, in Ron's case, groaning.

"Why did you do that?" the red haired boy asked.

"I told you, I didn't know it was you and I got startled," she admitted, conjuring a stretcher for the unconscious man.

"No, I mean touching and healing the git!" Ron corrected himself, gesticulating towards Severus. "It's really Snape, you know!"

"And how did you get there? What happened to you? How did you get out?" Harry asked while she was watching her, his eyes wide.

"I-" Hermione started to answer, unsure about her words even as she levitated Severus carefully up the stretcher.

"You wouldn't believe what happened to us today! And what had happened before! Just drop this and come with me, you have to hear that, you won't believe! I and Harry and Nev destroyed the-" Ron interrupted her, not patient enough to wait for her reply and obviously happy enough with the fact she stopped touching Severus. But she really had no time for this - Severus was poisoned severely and while she had already done all she could to slow down the reaction that was killing him, she had no time to spare. She had to go back home immediately as she did not know for how long precisely the antidote would be brewing and if her journey back would be undisturbed. She could not risk the man's life like that, could not stop to chat...

"I am sorry, Ron, I can't stay. I need to heal him first; he would die within an hour if I don't," she apologized again and tried to smile to show that she was glad to see them all.

"What? Where are you going? And why do you guys care so much for the bastard?" Ron asked incredulously, stepping in front of her and blocking the shortest way to the boundaries of the wards.

"Don't call him like that! And I do care so just move away so I can go and-" she tried to bypass the boy while navigating the stretcher behind her.

"No, you can't just go like that, Mione, we-" Harry started to say but never finished.

"Are you realizing you are actually choosing _Snape_ over _us?_ Are you crazy?!" Ron asked, aggressively gesticulating towards he head.

She heard Severus sighing quietly which usually signalized he was in pain and about to wake up. _If they wake him up, this will get even more complicated._

"I don't have time for this! I told you I've got to go. Now!" she said resolutely, trying to give them no chance to object any further.

"We are going with you then! To protect you!" Harry raised his voice and stepped closer too.

 _Merlin! This was really not protecting anyone_ _!_

"I don't need your help or protection! Right now I need you to move away and let me go so I can help _him!"_ Hermione explained, pointing behind her at Severus and still trying to find a way to bypass the two boys.

"C'mon! That's not you!" Ron screamed, "What has he done to you?!"

 _Well, that is exactly what she is not ready to tell them._

"She is Imperioed! Everything she did would make sense then!" Harry explained his theory and she nearly facepalmed herself. Still, Neville was the only one who also did not find that very probable as Ron kept nodding vigorously.

But then Ron raised his wand and cast "Finite Incantatem" on her, startling her. And revealing what she wanted to hide the most from these three - her pregnancy.

 _Merlin._

If there were uncomfortable questions before, now it was an avalanche, suffocating and heavy, that threatened to swallow her; deafen and blind her to everything that was happening around her.

 _Now they will know. Everyone could see that, even the boys who were usually quite unobservant._

 _They will know._

 _They will know what happened to her. They will judge her. They will see how ugly she is getting...  
_

 _"Merlin, Hermione, you look... awful!"_ Ron said, staring at her and she felt her eyes beginning to sting.

 _Damn, it's not like she cared what he thinks! It doesn't matter! Besides, she knew already..._

But then Harry asked and Neville answered him. Correctly. It was out. _It was clear from the start it will get out..._

She hadn't really known what to expect; surely not "You are pregnant? Great! Congratulations! Is it a boy or a girl?" but maybe a bit of polite interest and joy at a baby that their friend was carrying. Not these accusing stares. Not these aggressive and offending questions that made her feel like it was a crime to expect a baby. Not being considered stained and sinful as a result...

"How could that happen? What did you do? Whose is it? Are you really keeping it? Are you _insane?_ Mum told me you have to be careful about this when you are young like you are!"

She just about lost track of who said what as she felt tears filling her eyes, stinging.

 _They don't understand. They won't understand no matter what she says. There is nothing she could say to make them see how hard this is for her..._

So she stayed silent, letting the voices pour over her and trying to withstand the onslaught with some of her internal composure left.

But then Ron came nearer to her, angry, and grabbed her by her arms to shake her.

"Are you even listening to us? Say something! Tell us what-"

Yet, he didn't manage to finish as a fist landed on his jaw out of the blue, starling both Hermione and Ron. Before she could start to analyze what had happened, she saw the rest of Severus launch itself at the boy, knocking him down and obviously trying to inflict as much damage as physically possible.

Damn, she had forgotten she had intercepted them during a struggle - there was obviously a lot of bad blood between those four and Severus wasn't surely one to forget and forgive so easily. She should have expected him to resume the fight as soon as he woke up...

But he was in no condition to wrestle with anyone like that, he should spare the rest of his strength for healing himself. He couldn't afford being hurt any more than he already had been, poisoned and dying as he was.

Plus he would soon hurt Ron badly if she let him - obviously he was intending to do exactly that.

"Ron! Don't! Harry! Stop him!" she tried to pull at Ron to drag them apart but no one restrained Severus for it to be effective.

She saw Harry cast a curse at Severus, cutting at his freshly healed chest.

"That is not what I meant, Harry! We need to pull them apart! They will hurt each other!"

Still, no one listened to her and Ron's elbow hit her abdomen, nearly hitting the baby too.

 _Damn, this was dangerous to her and the kid as well._

Ron was obviously not going to stop on his own, Harry was on his side and Neville was too at loss as to what to do about this mess. They had no time for this. So she tried to reason with Severus instead; maybe he would listen.

"Severus! Stop! Stop this!" she yelled to get through to him, pulling at his arm as hard as she could to hold him back before he would hit Ron again and to tear them apart from each other. Slowly, she felt Severus yielding, the hard muscle under her hand relaxing somewhat. He looked at her, still breathing hard but seemingly reasonable and composed.

 _Phew!_

She felt Severus flinch then and turned her head to see that it was Ron who cursed the man, his nose still bleeding, probably not noticing in time that the fight was over.

"Ron! Stop that too! He is dying!" she told him, watching Severus for any signs of a change in his condition; she supposed that with the results she had got before, he would be out for at least a day even with the antidote already in his system.

 _"Dying?_ He fucking doesn't look like dying to me! And he started it!"

 _That was true enough. But she still had no time for this ridiculous arguing. He WAS dying._

"I don't care who started it, Ron! I am not your mother! And now move away, we need to go back home!"

"What?! Home?! Together?!"

"So you are living with HIM? At Hogwarts?! What? Why?"

 _Damn, she shouldn't have said that. She had no time to explain. No will even._

"I don't have time for this, we are going," he tried to end the discussion and past her friend to finally reach the boundaries of the property, nearly forgetting all about the bleeding man next to her.

"Not you!" she told him to warn him of her intentions. She did not want to startle him on top of everything and make him attack her too. Like that he let her put him to sleep peacefully, obviously trusting her enough for that. Or having no more strength to fight.

Anyway, she levitated the stretcher and pushed herself in between the stunned boys she was leaving behind. No one tried to restrain her any more. She wanted them to do it as much as she wanted them to leave her alone.

She needed a friend. And now she could be certain she had none left.

Giving them one last look as she raised her wand to Apparate them both, she could not hold the sob that tore itself out of her throat.

They didn't even wave her goodbye.

* * *

She managed to keep everything in - except for a few more tears - for another hour, busy with worrying herself sick over the man and brewing the antidote in their lab at home. When she finally had it ready for him, hoping it was all done correctly and her hand shaking, she observed and checked it for one last time against the light to see if it sparkled right, making it shine blue in the rays. It did. Still, she was well aware it's effects would be similar to liquid Cruciatus had it ever been invented. Cruel. Agonizing. Unforgiveable.

She would subject the man to horrible pain to rectify the consequences of what she had inflicted on him months ago. To try to correct her botched healing so he would not die today.

Hermione had no doubt he would hate her for that; both for the pain that was about to come and for nearly being killed today. But she could change neither.

Yet, there was no time to delay the inevitable. So she took a deep breath, shook the little vial for one last time, and went to the man still motionlessly lying on one of the long tables in their lab, bound by invisible ropes so that he would not fall down from it if he twitched.

"Rennervate," she whispered and watched his eyes slowly open, immediately soughing out her face. There were dark stains on his pale skin which made him look rather ominous. He didn't have much time left. She could only hope that the exertion which he would have to go through to manage the pain would not be the last drop to rob him off the little remains of the life force that still remained in him. She would never forgive herself if she killed him by accident.

Her hand trembling a bit, she pressed the vial to his lips. He didn't even stop to smell it, drinking it with no hesitation.

He trusted her. With his life even.

A sudden jolt of pain at that realization stabbed her chest and she smiled at him encouragingly, forcing her lips to move even as her eyes threatened to give way to the tears she was holding back.

She prayed he would remember nothing from this when he woke up next. She couldn't bear to even think of the possibility of him returning to the cold disinterest he had shown her only a few months prior, especially as there would soon be a child to live with it too.

She heard him swallow the last mouthful of the potion and saw as he laid his head back down on the hard surface.

 _She should have at least brought him a pillow..._

She waited for the spasms to began, ready to hold him so that he would not hurt himself. It should have begun by now...

Still, he was only frowning slightly, a focused expression etched into his features. She should have expected that the immobilization was not needed. It appeared as if the brew had no effect on him but she knew he was simply enduring it in silence; same as he always had.

Hermione knew it was probably just him being too stubborn and bullheaded to show any weakness but then again there was no one around to impress and he was in no state to care even if there was. Nevertheless, it was simply too ingrained in him for it to matter. He was obviously used to suffer in silence. Privately, so no one would know.

What had happened to the man to learn such a thing and perfect it to such a level?

Horrible as the notion was, one could not help himself to not respect the man for it. Admire him even, for it showed enormous strength, both of will and body. He was with no doubt the bravest man Hermione had ever met; not Harry's or Ron's kind of bravery, born out of lack of thinking about the matter and rash decisions. No, his kind was very different; his headstrong willingness to come again and again to the Death Eater gatherings that could easily cost him his life and regularly left him injured and drained, his dedication to protect the school and her, his readiness to risk so much to keep her safe and out of the fight... Yet, Severus never seemed to expect any gratitude or even acknowledgement for that, a simple "thank you" always unsettling him.

The frown on his face disappeared all of sudden, leaving his expression relaxed and blank, and she startled at that, checking his pulse and breathing in a hurry.

Damn, she could not afford to lose him. He was the only one left to her, her only friend. The one who never judged her, respecting her decisions even as they sometimes put him into a lot of trouble - her choice to keep the baby included. The one who had always stood by her, even when the circumstances were the direst and even when she had not trusted him one bit about anything. The one who had never lied to her, even when she desperately wished that he would...

She squeezed his hand in hers; she needed to feel him, to make sure he was still there. It didn't matter if he was unconscious as long as he was alive and would wake up again...

Hermione could not remain alone, now that Ron and Harry...

All of a sudden, everything became too much and she felt her eyes blur with tears, sobs filling her lungs and fighting to get out of her throat. When the first desperate sound left her lips, it broke the wall of self-control she had built so carefully around herself and she sunk to her knees, still holding Severus' hand and surrendering to her pain.

* * *

Several lifetimes - or maybe only a few hours - later, she was still kneeling by the man's side, his hand tightly wrapped in hers, her eyes swollen and red from crying but reasonably dry.

It was time to get Severus to a proper bed. And go to use the toilet.

Damn, she WAS going to call the baby "Peenut" as soon as it is born. It certainly deserves at least that little retribution from her...

* * *

Finally, she did everything that could not wait any longer and returned back to the man to take care of him properly. There were still bruises and minor scratches and burns that she had to tend to.

Undressing him, she could see that he gained a few pounds in the time that she had not seen him without his clothes; still, he could be not called fat in any case. He was still the lean and muscular man that she remembered, only now there was a bit more muscle than bones around his abdomen and chest.

Smearing the balm on both of these, she could not restrain her thoughts from wandering, the feeling of his hard and firm body under her fingers only inspiring it further. The way his body had felt against hers, the way he could make her forget just about anything, the way he looked at her when they were together...

Her cheeks hot, she let her hand wander around his body, exploring it as much as caressing. He was out and her diagnostic charm indicated that he would stay that way for another few hours at least. It was maybe not very moral to enjoy touching an unconscious man but it wasn't as it had never happened before and he hadn't minded then...

She raised her eyes to his face to check for any change in his state and saw his black orbs watching her intently, a bit hazy but obviously very much conscious. Open and not judging or condemning. Relaxed and warm. Friendly.

 _And so very attractive._

That thought stole into her mind and she felt her cheeks blushing again.

"Thank you," he said, his soft baritone resounding through the room and worming its way into her heart.

"You are welcome," she answered, enjoying their closeness too.

He probably liked the caressing as well. He would not object to more surely. He had been more than merely cooperating before...

So she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. She had done it before so she knew what to expect but still his taste and the way his flesh felt against hers took her breath away.

He was so very masculine and mature, the very smell and touch of him making her feel safe, cherished even. It was intoxicating.

Her inner barriers and restraint melting, she wanted more. Needed more. She knew he could make her feel alive again. Could make her forget. Could make her feel warm and loved...

 _There was nothing she wanted more than that at the moment._

She wasn't this close to him for months and her body all but yelled at her to take the opportunity. But then he abruptly broke the kiss and stalled her hand, gently but firmly, grabbing her by her wrist.

Looking him into his eyes, she felt her cheeks going hot.

"You shouldn't have done that, back there by the lake. And you shouldn't have done this either," he told her, his voice calm and quiet.

And it hurt. It hurt like hell.

He didn't want her. He probably thought her silly and stupid for even trying this. It might have worked before but that was before she had got so fat and ugly. It only worked because he pretended she was someone else and now he had no reason to do that any more. He wasn't drunk or drugged either this time - or not so much, anyway - to blur his ability to decide who to have sex with.

Maybe that also used to work because he hadn't really known her; they only started to talk and get to know something about each other in the last few weeks. He hadn't known what she was really like until then and now he didn't want to have anything with her any more...

The heat in her cheeks and the stinging in her eyes got unbearable then and she felt her lower lip starting to tremble even as a sob tried to push itself out of her chest.

 _Damn this. Didn't she cry enough for one day?!_

She looked away to save herself his calm scrutiny that he was certainly giving her. But that was not enough. She needed to get away so she could calm down a bit. Cry for a bit more, maybe.

So Hermione rose from her sitting position on the bed and ran - no, quickly walked! - away to hide. Somewhere. Somewhere safe.

Not the Library - that was where he spent his time with the girl he loved. Not the kitchen or living room where he would have to pass through to exit the house. The storage room was too cramped.

So the potion lab it is.

She barely managed to close the door behind her before the first tear fell, running down from her eye to her chin as her face was turned down to hide her pain.

Bollocks, she had never properly experienced how rejection could hurt.

Even when it was from a man she didn't really love. It was a simple denial of physical comfort, no more.

 _She didn't truly need it!_

Slouching into one of the two hard and firm chairs that were in the room, even the furniture here reminded her of him. The smell too. The memories of all their time together there, the most recent with him lying on that table only a few hours ago while she had so desperately tried to save him...

Damn, she had chosen a horrible place to escape to. Hide. Cry. _No, to compose herself,_ she told herself strictly and tried to wipe the tears from her face and breathe deeper. It was not working that well.

 _Merlin, she was so stupid! What got into her to even try that?! To destroy the working arrangement that they managed to create?! She really should have known better..._

And she ran away like a little girl instead of apologizing for being so improper. For wanting something she couldn't get and embarrassing them both...

 _He probably wouldn't be able to do it anyway, not after all those injuries he had taken_ , she realized and got even more annoyed and angry with herself for not considering even that. He would likely not be able to even walk for at least a day more and he was certainly still in pain. She was really asking for it...

The tears ran freely from her eyes now, making her knees - which she hugged to herself and pressed her face to - soaking wet. Perhaps it was for the best to let them fall. She had time enough to recover...

A knock resounded through the room, startling her horribly although it was rather quiet, and the fright from it made her stop in her tracks, stopping even her crying.

* * *

 _The next one is going to be told by Severus :-)_

 _Thank you so much for being here! I would not try nearly as hard to find the time to finish this story if it were not for you and your reviews - you are some awesome bunch of guys!_

 _Love to you all!_


	69. Chapter 69

_I really did my best to update soon this time - thank you so much for your reviews, they helped a lot :-*_

 _Dedicated to **Pirocantha** as it was her birthday yesterday. The best of everything to you, girl!_

* * *

CHAPTER 69

Severus was staring at the closed door, still annoyingly breathless from the short journey there, and experienced a very uncomfortable déjà vu: only this time it wasn't Lily who he offended but Hermione, the woman he was going to have a child with.

 _Hell, if he won't guess right what is wrong and won't manage to apologize properly, he will lose both of them. She will cut him off, not speak to him ever again, not letting him see the kid when it is born - in the unlikely case he will be alive at that time._

 _He was well versed at losing. He always lost everyone, no matter how hard he tried to keep the person - first his mother, then Lily and finally Abus._

 _But try he will, whatever it took._

Still, he was too chicken to knock just yet, too unsure as what to say to make this right. _"Sorry, but I thought you are insane"_ or _"My apologies, I didn't think you could judge who you want to be intimate with"?_

Both sounded like shit to him.

But then a particularly desperate sob resounded behind the door and he hesitated no longer; if there was a chance that he could do anything to make her stop crying, he would at least try to do it, regardless his frayed nerves.

So he knocked timidly but hard enough to be heard. Total silence followed, no invitation in. He swore silently, yet he was not going to give up.

"Hermione?" he called cautiously.

Nothing.

 _Fuck!_

"Hermione, I am sorry. May I go in?" he tried again.

No answer.

 _Shit!_

 _He's fucked this up, royally. He could be kissing - and maybe more - the woman he loved right now instead of this if it wasn't for his stupid theories. Now she will be ignoring him for the rest of his life-_

The door swung open, revealing the girl, still beautiful as heaven even with her eyes puffy and skin a bit blotchy. She was looking down on her feet and quickly returned back to the room, sitting on one of the chairs and hiding her face behind her palms. She didn't say anything but left the door open so he was probably allowed to enter. Hopefully.

He knew it didn't mean she wasn't mad at him; she was just too goodhearted to leave him standing behind the door like Lily had done.

He cautiously entered the lab, took the second chair, turning it a bit to face the girl, and sat down.

Still not sure as what he should exactly say to her to make this right, he waited a few seconds, considering his chances. Just as he took a breath to start, she managed to beat him to it.

"I am sorry," she said, not lifting her hands that covered her face. He frowned.

 _What?! Did SHE make HIM cry a few moments back?!_

"I am not sure I follow you right now. I came to say sorry to you," he tried to explain his confusion.

"No need to. I know you don't like me and you were right that I shouldn't have kissed you then. It was me who was out of the line," she said quietly, still not looking up.

"Thant's not true," was all Severus managed to say, astonished at her words.

What kind of girls apologize for being turned down and insulted as a result?

"It is. You did nothing improper towards me ever since the Bond had been out of the way..." she trailed of and Severus felt his heart beat faster at the sadness in her voice.

"No, I meant that it is not true that I don't like you. I do," he corrected her, forcing his voice to stay calm even as his heart hammered even faster in his chest.

 _He said it. Merlin, he actually said it. He promised he wouldn't. Now she will either laugh at him or be even more disgusted by him. Good as she was, she will probably also pity him which was even worse. What a fucking incorrigible cretin he was..._

But she didn't laugh or scorn him. She didn't even seem to pity him. The only thing she did was finally look him in the eye, surprise evident on her face.

"You do? You do like me? So why didn't you-" she tried to ask but obviously was not able to put it into words so well. But he understood anyway.

 _Damn, this was even harder._

"I don't think we are in a situation where a working intimate relationship can be established and maintained. There is just too much of a bad history between us and I don't suppose I am the right choice for you anyway. So-" he said, the words bitter on his tongue even as he felt them being true. She didn't let him finish though.

"I really hope you are not going to tell me some 'You are too good for me' rubbish. _We_ are going to have a baby, _together,_ not just me. Don't you try to feed me this nonsense now, Severus!" she exclaimed, agitated.

She didn't understand then. He will have to show her even though he hated to do it. Still, he had to make her see reason or she would think him a liar...

So her rose to his feet and towered over her the way he knew his students considered intimidating, then he composed his features into a scowl that he didn't wear around her in months. Already, he could see the farce working spectacularly as her eyes widened in alarm.

"Nonsense? I am speaking nonsense?! You dare to tell me that to my face?" he asked her, weaving some menace into his voice.

He didn't have to say any more; she was already up from her chair and scurrying as far as she could get from his in the room, a frightened look on her face, obviously expecting him to explode at any moment. He could see her hands shaking although she folded her in front of her for protection. She didn't say a word to argue with him or to defend herself; she seemed afraid to even move as soon as she distanced herself from him.

So he WAS right. She either still considered him as her teacher or captor and feared him as such. In a normal relationship - if they were friends at least - she would fight with him, try to convince him. She would not be intimidated like that - she surely wasn't by Potter, Weasley or Longbottom when they had raised their voices around her.

Defeated by his own victory, he sat down again, suddenly weary and tired beyond words. Rubbing the bridge of his nose in a gesture he knew he had inclinations to repeat whenever he was exhausted and desperate.

"Are you alright?" she inquired then timidly and he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. He had just experimented with her sentiments towards him and she asked him if _he_ was fine?!

He nodded, sighing. _This is going to be difficult indeed._

"I am sorry," she said, finally making a few steps in his direction and Severus thought he might start yelling with pure frustration. It was probably time to explain.

"But you shouldn't be. You are way too willing to forgive me same as you are way too easy to be intimidated and scared by me. You don't trust me enough and you obviously still have issues with me acting like I am angry with you - I wasn't by the way, it was just a show to prove my point. You would argue back if you were speaking to your friends but I only scare you when I seem to be mad at you. This was what I meant when I told you that in the situation at hand we will hardly have a normal and working relationship. It would be much more beneficial if we keep some distance as I would hate to use you in any way when you are sensitive and easily manipulated in your current state," he summed it up, watching her carefully all the time.

 _Please, consider this rationally and don't get insulted. See the reason finally..._

A frown that he had learned to identify as thoughtful settled on her face and he felt a huge stone lift from his shoulders.

She is thinking, not surrendering to the impulse to overreact. It is going to be fine again...

But then searing hot pain shot though the mark on his elbow and he grabbed at it, hissing in pain that he was unprepared for.

 _Oh fuck..._

The bastard really knew his timing.

"I've got to go," he said, raising to his feet and summoning his Death Eater mask and robes. She watched him, worried. She had a reason to be this time. He would probably not make it back; if he was summoned, the monster likely discovered his involvement in Bella's disappearance. People had seen them together and one of them evidently reported it.

Still, he had to go back there. He needed every piece of information he could get to help the Order. He would be useless to them all otherwise. He had promised to Albus to stay in the ranks at all cost...

At least she would be rid of him soon.

"When will you return?" she asked, the most beautiful eyes in the world looking at him, wide open and concerned.

"I am not sure I will. It's going to be a difficult session," he warned her while putting the robe over his clothes. "Speaking of which - if I happen to summon you, drink the violet Pain Killer in the bathroom immediately. Do _not_ come to me, stay at home. You will know when I am gone. If you drink the potion, both you and the baby should make it through."

He smoothed the robe out hastily and let his eyes stray to her again. She looked nearly panicked and it sent a dagger of pain and sorrow into his heart.

 _Fuck, how he hated this, hated to leave her. But he needed to play his part and she will be better off without him although she may not think so yet._

"There are supplies in the house to last for a year at least, the wards should hold no matter what happens. Try to find a way to deliver the memories to Potter, they are still in the kitchen cabinet. Here is a notebook containing the recipes of all the potions I invented," he told her, pulling the book out of a drawer. "There are tested and should earn some money if you decide to have them patented, hopefully sufficient for a few years," he explained, handling her the worn out notebook, and then hesitated for a moment before adding "And please tell the kid I am glad I got to be his or her father, that he or she is the best thing I've ever created. I am sure you will raise the baby to be a good person, like you are," he said, his eyes straying to her belly.

She stared at him, unbelieving or still not comprehending what he was telling her.

"Forgive me for what I've done if you can. In fifty years or in ten, it will mean a lot even if I am not here any longer to know," he said quietly, nearly whispering.

Still, she said nothing so he turned to leave.

"Severus?" she called him and he immediately turned back to her.

 _"Do_ come back," she told him emphatically and he nearly smiled. She was as stubborn as he on times.

 _"_ I will do everything so I could come back. _Do_ stay at home, whatever happens," he reminded her and left the room in a few quick steps.

Now he had to hurry or the bastard would kill him simply for the delay.

* * *

 _Quite short but they finally talked a bit which was rather overdue :-)_

 _The next chapter will be either by Voldemort or Hermione - who would you prefer? Please tell me in your reviews :-)_


	70. Chapter 70

_Hello, guys!_

 _The majority of you told me you would prefer the next chapter to be Voldemort's - so here it is :-)_

 _Thank you for being here!_

 _Dedicated to **kagomeLove2** for the never ending support and feedback I am so lucky to keep receiving :-*_

* * *

CHAPTER 70

He was sitting on his throne, alone in the darkness, listening to the silence. Compared to what other believed, he didn't really like it; it reminded him a bit too much of his time spent as a specter, alone and hiding in the quiet forests of Albania. It also reminded him of what being dead might be like - buried, confined, forgotten. Bored.

It also made him think and reminiscence which was sometimes even worse.

Think of the small void that he had been finding in himself ever since Bella was gone although he considered himself long above such trivial sentiments. Sure, she was rather fun to fuck, occasionally even fun to watch while at work but a tool only; replaceable, unimportant, temporary and imperfect.

The door to the room opened and Goyle entered, bowed and shivering as he should be.

"Speak," he ordered in simple terms the similarly simple creature.

"My Lord," the man stammered, sweat and fear stinking even across the yards that divided them, "I have discovered that she was last seen with Severus Snape and Rodolphus Lestrange during a visit to Gringotts," he finished, nervous and staring at the floor.

"Rodolphus is dead," he stated, reminding the wizard to not speak nonsense. The only one who would always return to the living was him and him alone.

 _One more stupid piece of information and he will kill this waste of space._

"The people were unclear about what they saw. Some claim to see only Bellatrix and Severus, others said that there was Rodolphus with them too. All of them agree that they were at Gringotts."

Gringotts. Gringotts were important. That's where Bella was supposed to hide Helga's Cup, the thing he spent years searching for. Irreplaceable and unique, much like himself, to the extent even that he decided to charm a bit of his soul into it. An object worthy of him if ever there was one.

"I asked the goblins what happened too. They said the vault burned out. Fiendfyre, they said," Goyle finished his report, still bend and looking at his dirty feet.

So that was what he had registered, the sense of loss. The Cup had been destroyed. Along with a bit of himself...

Fury took hold of his senses, finally replacing the unfamiliar thing that felt a bit like regret, and he channeled it with no hesitation.

"Avada Kedavra," he said, letting a bit of the pressure out.

A body thumped limply to the floor. Not the last one today as the anger still wanted out of him. He was never one to deny himself.

They all were substitutable after all, unlike him.

* * *

He had always rather enjoyed watching this; the struggle of a spark of life on the thin line of death. The long hours it could take to get to the boundary even as it required only a split of second to cross it. The fear, the pain, the fight, all of it reeking of the force of life that wanted to stay forever, to become eternal - very much like he himself had managed to accomplish.

It was especially refreshing with Severus; no pointless whining, no pleas or excuses. Severus too knew it was no torture as he had hear others sometimes call it; both of them were aware it was just justice. Appropriate treatment for anyone who had displeased their Master, their superior. Severus knew what was respect, that he had to admit.

But Severus had made a mistake, he had to be corrected. Yet it was still rather unclear what exactly happened and it made him slightly curious.

So he descended the stone dais and made the man look him in the eyes to see. Usually it was a rather disgusting affair; all the emotions, images and sensations jumbled together, swirling and making him sick. Severus was different in that too as there were no superfluous feelings or unclear ideas in him whatsoever - everything was straightforward, well sorted and easily legible.

 _He will truly miss this man when he will be gone,_ he thought, stroking the Severus' bloodied chin tenderly as he held it.

Delving in, he pushed away all the usual potion making the man was obsessed with - a useful hobby if he ever saw one - to get to his more recent memories, reaching those containing Bella easily.

Severus, bored and waiting for the woman. Bella, giving him her seductive smirks that the man never returned. The trip down to Lestrange vault, her playing with the dragon. Severus reading a book as Bella watched him vigilantly, her wand ready. Rodolphus, Bellatrix and Severus barging into the vault, making the original due freeze for a moment before a battle started; it was obvious that the three were impersonators then, explaining what Goyle hadn't managed to deduce.

The thread of the memory broke suddenly in the middle of the fight and he soon discovered why; the next one was with Severus slowly gaining consciousness, his skin burned badly by the enchantments that protected the vault; he had obviously been hit by some voiceless curse and had set off the defenses by touching some object. True enough, he could see Bella in some distance, respelling the various wards and traps so that the treasures would stop multiplying and burning. No perpetrators in sight, obviously defeated by Bella.

He heard quiet footsteps, heading in her direction. A disillusioned person. Or an invisible cloak. Surely the second, the vault was warded against those things. There was only one cloak in existence that was capable of that feat ...

 _Potter._

"Ignis Exsecratus!" he heard a boy's voice pronounce and immediately saw Bella being swallowed by the curse while Severus ducked and fought hard to direct the fire away from him. All he could see were the white hot flames, filling the whole room in seconds _.  
_

The memory ended there as Severus probably lost consciousness again and he emerged forcefully from the man's mind, white hot flames still dancing in front of his eyes as anger filled him once more.

They had the brat within their reach and neither realized it - likely he was there with them, invisible, all along. They could have captured him, return him here to the Fortress. Yet, they failed, letting the Cup being burned while Potter escaped...

He hated failures. He hated being disappointed. He hated incapacity and incompetence.

"Crucio," he hissed, enjoying the dark magic seeping though his flesh as much as the unerring sense of power.

Yes, this was always fun with Severus. But he still needed to be punished even though he was so amusing to play with.

"Kill him. Slowly," he ordered his Inner circle and returned dignifiedly to his throne.

 _He will watch this from distance, maybe join in sometimes, but now he has to select one or two of his followers who will make this at least as good as Bella used to. Then he will look for a new Potion Master and a good looking woman to fuck. Then he will go to find another relic of the Founders and spell it into a new Horcrux. Everything was replaceable, except for him._

Relaxing into the spacious chair, he got ready for the show that was about to come.

* * *

 _He will miss Severus once he is gone_ , he surmised again, about an hour later, as he watched Severus endure just about everything from brutish force to elaborate spellwork and potions, not making a noise and not pleading, not even once. _Still, mistakes had to be punished._

The door to the room opened then and a pretty naked girl, escorted by two of his guard, entered.

 _How dare they to spoil his fun?_

"We are sorry to interrupt, my Lord, but this woman came to the gates, claiming she needed to talk to you, bringing some good news. She is Marked so we let her enter," one of them said, pushing the cute girl in front of him. She immediately knelt and bent her head, obviously waiting to be addressed.

 _Polite, trained, young..._

 _Maybe this won't spoil anything at all,_ he thought, smirking. _Maybe it will be even more amusing with her here. Maybe he has already found the new woman to fuck..._

"Speak your mind, girl," he ordered her, surveying her nice curves that she wasn't trying to hide from him.

 _"_ My Master, Severus Snape, has called me so I could serve as his last gift to you, my Lord," she said, still bowed.

Her voice was even, unaffected and businesslike. She had probably been brainwashed and tortured into total obedience. At this point she likely did not know who she used to be, did not even care who she belonged to or what would happen to her. He had seen those quite often around here. It wasn't exactly his style but she would do. It was rather kind of Severus to give him this one when he had cost him Bella...

"He hasn't managed in time to inform you of the new follower that would soon enhance your power, growing in me for you as you ordered. He told me to come, to carry the child to you to show his never ending devotion and support, no matter whether he would live or die," she added and made him remember. He had seen her before. The tits, the hair...

That was the girl Severus was Bound to, the one he took home to be able to service him more often.

"Is the girl speaking the truth, Severus?" he asked the man who in the meantime somehow managed to collect himself from the floor where he had landed a few minutes earlier after a blow from... who was it... it didn't really matter.

"Yes, my Lord," came his reply, respectful and calm even with his face all bloody and bruised.

So Severus had managed what others - except him, of course - hadn't. He planted a child into her and used - even trained! - her without making her abort. He obviously wasn't that fallible. Still, he needed to be punished. Both of them, actually. She interrupted the session.

 _Oh, he will make this good..._

 _"_ You might not be aware of that but your Master disappointed me deeply yesterday, causing me the loss of one follower along with a very valuable object. He also let slip through his fingers a person that I very much wanted him to capture. He is currently being punished for that. I suggest you help us with it as you were kind enough to join us here," he said, watching the girl closely. She looked at her Master, not moving and probably unsure.

 _She was obviously trained to respect the man too. What a splendid job..._

"As you very well know, you are to listen to our Lord, unconditionally, even if the order is to act against my well being. Do whatever you are asked to. There will be no repercussions from me following," Severus reminded her and she moved finally, standing up and walking slowly to the man.

She had no wand so he expected her to slap Severus at the most. She stood in front of her Master, very small and fragile looking in comparison.

But then she surprised him as she lay her hands on his shoulders, bracing against him for support, and kicked him hard, her knee landing on his groin, making Severus gasp and slowly slump to the ground; a feat that his fellow Death Eaters had needed about half an hour to accomplish when they had been having their way with him previously.

Air gushed out of his lungs and he laughed, amused at the display.

Oh, the girl knew what justice meant too and she didn't take orders lightly, obviously. She understood the need to pay for misconducts. And it was simply hilarious, coming from the petite young woman.

He gave Severus a whole minute to recover and stand up again. He really was merciful today.

"Nice. Your toy disturbed our lovely session though. She is yours to punish for that," he ordered the man and waited.

Nothing happened, Severus only bowed, probably expecting further instruction.

"Hit her," he clarified, unused to say so to the otherwise very creative wizard.

However, Severus still didn't move.

"No, I won't," he answered finally when the silence stretched for over a minute.

Instantly, the blood boiled in him, the bubbles of fury making him raise his wand and deal with the impudent wizard.

"Crucio," he said hatefully, pouring all his anger into the curse.

 _He will make him pay for that. No one ever refused him anything. No one, ever. He WILL be obeyed, always._

By the time he felt himself getting calmer again, Severus was on the ground, shivering. Not very typical, both to disobey and still be alive. Peculiar indeed.

"Care to explain?" he prompted the man, rather curious now.

"It was me who called her so the mistake is mine. Also hitting her would endanger the baby which is to be my gift to you when it's born and I do not wish to jeopardize that. I would rather take the punishment than displease my Lord," Severus rasped weakly yet respectfully.

 _Oh, the baby... He nearly forgot about that._

Standing up again, he walked to the girl, still respectfully standing beside her fallen Master, her hands folded in front of her body. Turning her to face him, he placed his hand on her belly to feel.

She was shivering and her skin was warm to the touch but she didn't move away from him. A few seconds later he could tell that the baby was a few months old; not nearly big enough to survive on its own but already having a clearly developed magical core. It was already powerful - even stronger than Severus' which really meant something. And it was his - his to guide and order from the very beginning.

He felt a smirk settle on his face. It took only a few hours for the loss in the ranks to be compensated.

 _There was only the matter of justice left to settle. Severus HAD talked back to him after all._

Withdrawing his hand from the witch, he ascended the bias again, making himself comfortable in his throne. He had something in mind already, as amusing as killing and torture was - especially when it was done with a freshly bruised cock.

"Fuck her," he ordered, twisting his mouth in an expression that used to be a smile when he yet hadn't been as immortal as he was now.

* * *

 _What a crude way to end a chapter - I am so sorry! The next one will explain what have lead to it and give you some insight into what Hermione might be thinking :-)_

 _Thanks for reading - and reviewing too? Please?_

 _Love you all!_


	71. Chapter 71

_Hi everyone!_

 _Thank you for coming here - hopefully to read and review this chapter! I hope you will like it at least a tiny bit :-)_

 _Dedicated to **kyhara,** the last person who started to follow this story and made my day a bit brighter by that simple click :-)  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 71

Hermione was still standing in the lab, dumbfounded and not fully comprehending everything that had just happened. Severus' sham of an outburst, the Death Eater session he was unlikely to return from, his last words to her. His admission that he liked her.

Yes, she believed everything he had told her; she knew him well enough now to be sure that he would consider the information redundant, therefore useless and wasteful, if not strictly true and would not bother to share it with her at all.

 _He will likely die today_ , she realized and felt hollow inside, much like something - or someone - was missing there already.

After a few minutes she discovered she hadn't moved at all since he had left. She had some brewing to do, some books she wanted to read but everything seemed so meaningless in comparison to what he would be going though at the time. She couldn't read about some stupid spells while he was being hurt somewhere far away, alone, with no one to help him.

Severus was right. This situation was impossible - but it didn't mean it wasn't real.

She knew he had fooled her a while ago, experimenting with her ingrained fear of him that she couldn't get rid of - even despite her rational awareness of him meaning no harm to her. She knew she overreacted, playing into his cards, and she was rather upset about that, upset by not being able to control her reaction. But it also meant that he truly cared, that he didn't want to use her feelings of loneliness and certain dependency on him that had been created by their close cohabitation.

He cared and he liked her. He was as lonely as her. They had been lonely together which had drawn them to each other. Plus that he was intelligent, educated, brave, strong and gentle when he wanted to be. He was also very attentive towards her ever since the kid was there with them but she felt it wasn't entirely for the baby's sake.

Placing a hand on her belly, she looked at it, still deep in thought.

She was not alone, she had the baby. It was a boy, she hoped. He would stay there with her. They would learn to function together, take care of each other, like they had learned to do so with Severus.

She felt tears sting in her eyes, for probably the millionth time today, and she wiped them resolutely. She was not going to cry again. It never helped anything to feel sorry for herself.

Instead, she tried to divert her painful thoughts to something else.

Cleaning. Maybe if she cleaned the house for a bit, it would clean her mind too, at least a little bit.

The living room. The bedroom. The library. The room they had prepared together for the baby. The kitchen that he always seemed to feel at home in.

Sorting the various glasses and plates, she saw the little bottle that he had filled with his memories, all the ages back when they had still been at the Fortress, telling her to give it to Harry if he died. He had reminded her to do so even today before he had left for the gathering. It was important for some reason for Harry to see yet he never told her what was stored in it.

 _Perhaps it was personal but then he wouldn't want Harry of all people to have it._

 _He might not give her permission to look but he never forbade it either. He never denied her any information she had asked in the past..._

Taking an ordinary kitchen plate and a black Muggle marker, she set about creating a home made pensive - she knew enough of ancient runes to do so. It would not look that fancy as a professional one would but it should work. Maybe the picture wouldn't be that sharp and clear but that wasn't of importance right now.

A few minutes later, she was done and contemplated her creation critically.

It would work. Maybe it is a bit immoral to look but there was nothing else to do. She had to occupy her mind with something meaningful so she would not go crazy with the stress from the waiting...

Just as she took the bottle to pour out the memories, she felt the Mark on her shoulder twitch and pull at her, summoning and guiding her, and her throat constricted tightly as her vague anxiety changed into concrete and sudden fear.

He told her to drink the potion to save the baby if he summoned her. He had no other way to communicate that as he was probably being watched, likely in the Fortress.

 _He is going to die._

Her heart began beating faster and her breath quickened to the point of hyperventilating.

 _It was as she had feared. He will die today, alone, far away. She will not see him again. He will not ever see the baby._

 _She had no friends to escape to, no family to recognize her. She would be arrested as soon as someone saw her. She would have to live here alone, give birth alone, raise the boy alone, hide them both for the rest of their lives._

Dazed, she went to the bathroom and drank the potion he had told her to use, her movement mechanical and eyes empty.

 _She will not only miss his company - she will miss him as a person,_ she realized as she stared at the empty vial. " _For Hermione and our kid_ ", the label said and she could tell he wrote it very slowly, focused on the letters, as it was easily legible and neat.

She blinked a few times rapidly and carried the small bottle to the sink to wash later. She was turning away from it when she noticed that there was one more label on it, stuck to the bottom. Turning it upside down she saw one more message, shorter.

" _I am sorry_ ", it spelt.

The tears fell finally as she stared at the inscription, landing on the paper label and blurring the letters.

He didn't tell her what he was sorry for; was it for what he had done to her? For failing to return home? For leaving her alone?

He had never left her alone before, not even back when they were all but strangers to each other, not even when she had so much wanted him to; he always watched out for her, warding her cell and monitoring her through the stone that he had created. Staying vigil at night in the library. He always tried to keep her out of the harm's way regardless the risk to his own safety.

 _He never left her. She won't leave him either_ , she decided, the thought finally giving her focus and strength to cope with her feelings.

She is not a princess, waiting in her castle to be serviced and saved when a dragon would try to steal her. She was a witch, not some little girl. She could do something to change the course of this war too.

So, before she managed to overthink her actions as usual, she opened the front door, throwing the Death Eater guards a look to get their attention as she was about to cross the wards. It would be good for them to notice her leaving as she was heading to Voldemort anyway and it would seem odd if she wasn't seen exiting the house. As soon as she knew she had their attention, she said "I was called by my Master. I am leaving to see him," and went to the boundary of the wards, not waiting for any reply. Hopefully they would be too confused and unsure to try to stop her.

Stepping out of the property grounds, she focused on the lingering pull in her Mark, letting it guide her to the right destination, and felt herself being squeezed into the tight tunnel of Apparition.

No one tried to stop her.

 _Phew!_

She landed a few seconds later, her feet colliding with the ground. But then her knees nearly gave way as she saw the Fortress.

 _Merlin, she hoped she would never see that horrid place again. She hoped the gathering would be held somewhere else, anywhere else._

But it wasn't. And she could not go back - she had to help Severus so he would not die. She felt he hadn't yet. She still had time...

So she undressed quickly - it was probably the proper "dress" code for enslaved women there - and with a heavy heart set aside even her wand, hiding everything carefully so she could fetch it later.

 _There WILL be some "later" for her, for both of them and for Severus too. She WILL make this._

 _So why on Earth did she feel so unsure about it?_

Casting her worries forcefully away along with her clothes, she schooled her features to not betray any of her insecurity. She had to act like she belonged here or she would be seen through. She had to act like she was expected to, being the toy of Severus Snape - much like the man himself would. Confident, cool, invincible and unfeeling. Strong.

She straightened up, lifting her chin up and forcing her shoulders down, and acted like she was not bothered at all by her own nudity and the Fortress full of Death Eaters and Voldemort, like she was simply on an errand here and not trying to save the only ally and friend she had left in this world.

She felt both relieved and scared when she crossed the wards - relieved that she had been let in, scared because there was no going back now. Or rather not without Severus to escort her as she was sure that her Mark didn't quite make it to Death Eater standards and getting out was bound to be more difficult than getting in. The Fortress was a prison after all.

Shivering but still composed, she reached the guards at the entrance, still acting like she belonged here.

Oh Merlin, she hoped she didn't, that she would not be forced to stay, not again. If she would manage to save Severus, he would think of a way to get her out, she was certain of that. He had never left her before.

The thought calmed her down considerably and she was able to deal with the guards with no bigger problems - they listened to her in the end without even needing to hear "the good news" first.

Acting like one belonged obviously caused people to think that the person really belonged.

She would play the same card with Voldemort too, pretending she was everything a Death Eater should be, acting as one. She would be servile, she would offer everything she could in return for a small chance she would be alive at the end of the day. And Severus too.

She did exactly that, using the information that she had; all the hints Severus had ever dropped about the man being a megalomaniac that wanted to control everything and everyone, she even remembered that it was required to kneel in front of him and not look him in the eye so that she would look broken and obedient - so that _they_ would not want to break her to make her obey.

And it was working, surprising well even - she discovered she didn't even fear the monstrous man any longer which enabled her to think clearly. It appeared he was buying her story and stopped punishing Severus for whatever transgression he had been doing it. Up till the moment she was asked to hurt Severus. First because she had been forced to look at the man and got startled both at the shape he was in and at the expression in his eyes although his voice remained calm and composed when he asked her to listen to Voldemort.

He was worried about her even as they were surely about to kill him, not relieved or glad to see her trying to help. It appeared like he started to fear something only now when he had seen her here. But there was no time to wonder too much. She had to pull this up (or down?) to the end, whatever end it might be.

So she came to him and caught his eyes with hers to try to gauge his thoughts.

Impenetrable as always when he was hiding behind his Occlumency. Cold and hard. For a short moment she could see the man she feared so much at one point and when he nodded to her slightly, she knew she could not spare him the pain, that it would not work if she did not make him hurt.

 _Hurt..._

' _Kick them in between their legs if they are ever naughty to you, little girl_ ,' the voice of her father resounded in her head again. Hopefully it will save her life this time too.

Bracing against Severus, she noticed she startled him by the contact.

"Sorry," she whispered quietly, not moving her lips.

Then she kicked him, using all her strength, and watched him slide down to the hard cold floor.

Oh, that one hurt for sure. He was going to hate her for that. It didn't matter though. Hate was good; a dead person would not hate her. It's better to be hated than dead.

A high pitched crazy laughter startled her then and she looked up to see Voldemort, his lipless mouth open and emitting the scary sound. Her uneasy stomach nearly turned at the sight.

Still, he seemed happy enough with both the news of the baby and Severus' punishment. Everyone obeyed and flattered him. Maybe he would let them go.

 _Please, let us go..._

"Nice. Your toy disturbed our lovely session though. She is yours to punish for that," the man hissed and she felt her jaw tighten.

She should have expected that. The creature was a sadist to the bone.

She was not scared of being injured by Severus; she knew he would not aim for the kid and be as gentle as he could. Furthermore, she had digested the pain killer, it wouldn't even hurt no matter what he would choose to do to her.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow but not wanting to see it and connect the brute action with the man she considered to be her friend.

After a long moment when nothing was coming, Voldemort prompted Severus.

"Hit her."

Nothing.

She didn't suppose she wouldn't know of being hit, pain killer or not. She opened her eyes and looked at the man next to her. He appeared to wage a war inside of him and was looking down at his feet.

 _What was happening here? Why didn't he do what he was asked to? It wasn't like he had never hurt her when he had to..._

"Do it!" she hissed with her face turned down so only he would hear it. He shot her a look and suddenly she knew.

 _Damn, he was going to kill them both. All three of them actually._

"No, I won't," he said aloud, answering both her and his Master and that made her start to truly fear finally as Voldemort's hand shot up and Severus was instantly struck by Crucio.

She saw mad determination in the man's face and fought hard to control herself to not try to help Severus, to not make them stop hurting him, to not hold her friend's hand. To just stand there by his side, watch him being tortured without making a single sound.

It were the longest minutes in her life but finally, the curse was lifted.

He would survive. He was used to it. He would recover. She would nurse him to health back home. She would take care of him as she had always done when he got hurt.

"Care to explain?" Voldemort asked then, obviously rational enough to speak finally.

"It was me who called her so the mistake is mine. Also hitting her would endanger the baby which is to be my gift to you when it's born and I do not wish to jeopardize that. I would rather take the punishment than displease my Lord," Severus said weakly, taking the blame and trying to spare her the punishment from someone else at the same time, using the baby as an excuse. She knew he didn't really care about displeasing his Master; he just didn't want to hurt her. He had promised her that after all.

Now she could be very certain her really meant that promise. Same as he did with all his promises actually.

But then Voldemort went to her and placed his cold and rough hand on her bare belly and she felt panic rising in her, her fear for the baby nearly overruling her determination to keep acting like a good Death Eater slave. It was so disgusting to have him touching her and so... _disgraceful..._ for the baby, the innocent little boy, having this monster of a man so close to him.

She had imagined few times dreamily what it would be like to have the baby under normal circumstances, surrendered by her friends and family... People going by her and asking if they could touch her belly to feel the new life growing in her, the words of support, the admiring and tender looks she had seen people giving other new mothers. For her, this was the first time someone else touched her baby, divided from the little one only by her skin, and it was the most cruel and disgusting person on Earth. She wanted to vomit.

Fortunately, it took only a few seconds.

The dark wizard didn't say anything. Still, he seemed pacified, returning back to his throne and sneering benevolently.

 _Oh, Merlin, they made it. They will be fine. He is going to let them go now..._

"Fuck her," the dark wizard said then and she froze, not expecting this particular order to replace the former.

 _WHAT? Here? Now?_

Her heart rapidly sped up its beats and she looked at Severus, both for support and affirming that he had heard the same as she had. That was when she noticed the cold sharp glint in his eyes, telling her what he was about to do. She knew him well enough now to be able to read him. He was going to tell the man to fuck himself, he was going to disobey again.

He was going to get himself killed.

 _No, no, no!_

 _She won't let him. They will get out, together. She won't stay here, alone, after watching him being tortured to death without raising a finger to help him. She won't let that happen._

So, before Severus managed to open his mouth, she beat him to it.

Bowing, she answered "Yes, Master, as you wish," and quickly took Severus' hand, so big and warm in hers, and nearly dragged him to the nearest wall bracing against it as she was probably expected to, hopefully not giving Severus the tiniest choice to get himself killed by talking back to the monster again.

"Oh, I see your toy is so eager for you... What an unexpected but pleasant surprise. You did really a splendid job here, my boy," she heard Voldemort's voice praising Severus but still she was on edge, her nerves tight.

 _Please, just do it. Do it and then we will go home,_ she prayed silently, her eyes closed.

 _Is he even fit enough to be able to?_

It took an eternity - or maybe not, even a few seconds could stretch impossibly when one was as stressed as she was - but finally she heard the sound she had reheard in her dreams and dreaded for so long - it was his belt hitting the stone floor. And it made her exhale in relief.

He was going to obey. They were going to pull through. Everything would be fine again.

She knew what would come next but it somehow didn't manage to scare her anymore; she had lived through it before and she knew Severus wouldn't hurt her. She knew she could really enjoy it even when there was not an audience to witness it. Damn, she even wanted the man to do it a few hours ago although she didn't manage to convince him...

Fortunately, Voldemort had managed that. They would return home soon, together...

Her eyes firmly set on the wall that she was leaned against, she tried to push away all the disturbing thoughts; having Voldemort and several of his Death Eaters stare at them was producing most of them. So she forced her mind to visualize something more pleasant.

Severus, freshly awake on the bed at Spinner's End, his eyes shining as he watched her, smiling fondly at her. Him telling her he liked her, shy as if it was somehow improper to say. All the dinners they shared and prepared together that she was always looking forward to nowadays. The time they spent brewing in the lab, knowing what the other one did and needed at all times. Their heated debates that usually ended up with them both laughing after some caustic remark from Severus. His chest, muscular and hard under her fingers...

It didn't hurt when he entered her, quite the contrary. She had to control herself to not show openly that she actually quite liked it, even as she felt her body responding to him. She noticed he was stroking her back - a gesture that he probably dared to make as it could look to the onlookers like he was simply holding her in place. A gesture that made her feel much safer, cherished even.

Finally she felt Severus reaching his orgasm and she fought hard not to react; she was supposed to be the mindless toy after all. The less feelings she showed about everything, the better for them.

So she only straightened and watched her feet impassively when she felt him withdraw from her. To be honest, she didn't even want to see Severus' expression right now - it could easily prove to be her undoing and she needed to stay composed.

"Efficient and proper as always, Severus. Well done!" Voldemort praised, not even a hint of the fury that seized him only a few moments ago.

Having his soul torn apart and progressively destroyed, piece by piece, would do that to a person she guessed. It was really no wonder he was so unstable, unpredictable and volatile. She doubted he even realized that by now.

Severus bowed instead of answering verbally.

"Off with you then! And do not forget to bring the news of the baby soon!" Voldemort ordered, raising from his throne.

"Antonin, Corban, meet me in the Black Chamber, we have a new post to fill that you seem qualified enough to contend for," the wizard said, heading to one of the doors. Two of the masked men immediately followed.

 _Merlin, they have done it! They have really done it, again! They can get out!_

Trying to betray none of her joy and relief, she looked up to Severus and was startled by the expression of cold fury and hatred that he was wearing.

 _Damn._ It appeared she was the only one happy here.

What was he angry about? Were they not alive, heading home together?

 _Maybe she kicked him a bit too hard...?_

Fixing her eyes to the floor again, she followed him out of the Fortress, not exchanging a word with him for the whole journey and not even looking at him again even when she redressed again and took her wand back, already behind the wards.

 _It was because she was playing the good slave as was expected. He was not mad at her, he couldn't be. Not after what she had done for him..._

It took only two seconds since they crossed their doorstep for him to start yelling at her.

* * *

 _The next chapter is about half done, I hope it will be finished soon :-)_

 _Thank you so much for your support! You are the best bunch of readers I could have wished for :-*_


	72. Chapter 72

_Hello, friends!_

 _Thank you for coming here to read another chapter! There is a lot of repetition in this one (I found it important to show from Severus' POV too) so if you are not particularly interested, the new content can be found following the line sign._

 _Hope you will like this one :-)_

 _Dedicated to_ ** _Wandersync,_ _Grimalkin,_ _BratGirl1983,_ _Pirocantha,_ _BlackClover666,_ _1991_** _ **,** **kagomeLove2** and the anonymous **Guest** who all left a review for me after reading the last chapter. Thank you so much, guys! :-*_

* * *

CHAPTER 72

Torture was a kind of sport among Death Eaters; a field that could be polished and improved, art that was worth perfecting, a pastime activity most of them enjoyed thoroughly, a ritual which the few selected ones had the privilege to practice as a show, in front of everybody and especially in front of their Master.

Bella had been the Queen of the show for decades, Lucius knew the rules too; both were aware of their Lord's preferences and methods that had made the thing enjoyable, lasting and impressionable. Both were dead.

Severus had been in the ranks long enough to know that his current punishment was supposed to serve both as such and as a kind of a job trial - whomever makes the best spectacle out of it would get the job of the new court jester along with its prestige.

To sum it up, his last torture session was going to be really protracted and unpredictable as the new recruits would try their best tricks without the proper experience and knowledge of how to wound a person enough to make him suffer but not enough to kill him too quickly. Anyone who displeased their Master would join his struggle on the side of the targets with no prior warning.

It went well so far; the monster obviously believed his pruned memories, not noticing he had been carefully but firmly pushed out of the picture when it was necessary and not because the thread ended due to his loss of consciousness. He always believed himself to be the most powerful Legillimens in the world - to the point that made him too trusting in his own skills and therefore easy to fool. Still, he would not stop searching until a culprit was found - hopefully he would believe it was Potter, full of vindictive hatred and with loads of dumb luck as usual. Then his former Master, expectably, would be seized by one of his fits of anger and not very interested in the precise way he came to get out of the vault alive.

Not that it mattered anymore to maintain his cover as he would die anyway today; it was just the fact that he had promised to Dumbledore to keep it to the very end and, more importantly even, his hope that the bastard would spare the school the worst of his ire if he died just for his alleged incompetence and not for treason.

He was leaving Hermione and the kid - a girl, he was sure it would be a girl - behind but there was not much he could do about it now. They would be better off without him anyway. But he should not be thinking about them now; he is not fit to guard their safety in his mind any longer. They could not be seen and thus endangered...

The order to kill came finally and he focused to summon the girl. The permission was given so he would not be spared anything now. He could not be sure which blow would be the last and she needed some time to take the potion; he hoped she would at least.

Feeling like dead already - minus the pain, of course, but they still didn't do anything too horrible to him - he faced what he had to to die with some dignity. It was liberating even in a way, ending his struggle finally and getting punished for everything he had done wrong in his life. There was a huge load of that.

Still, Hermione and the baby girl were safe. They would survive and one day they would be on the side of the winning, no matter who would actually win the war - even if the Dark side prevailed, he had created a very good identity for her along with a fake but rather believable genealogical tree that would prove her a Pure Blood, stemming out of the Prince family. The magic would confirm that too as she was established as his heir. When the initial bloodshed after the monster took power would be done, there would be always a place for a young beautiful Pure Blood girl so she should be safe even in the not very safe world that the Dark Lord would strive to create.

Hermione and the baby were fine, that was what mattered. Not a kick in the gut, not some badly aimed burning curses. He deserved that after all.

But then everything went silent and he used the surely fleeting moment of peace to collect himself from the floor. A second later he nearly collapsed again.

 _FUCK!_

Everything was NOT fine! They were NOT safe!

 _What the fuck is she doing here?!_

Acute fear seized his insides and took away all the serenity he had been experiencing up until that moment, changing the whole affair into a true nightmare.

He didn't want her here. He didn't want her within 100 miles radius. He didn't want her on the same hemisphere even.

He just didn't want her anywhere near the Big Monster

 _Why has she come?! Didn't he tell her NOT to come?!_

 _Is she thinking she is SAVING him?!_

 _Fuck, he was perfectly fine up until now!_

 _Gritting his teeth forcefully, he fought with himself not to blow up everything around them, collect her into his arms and run away, never looking back._

 _He has promised to Dumbledore to not reveal himself to keep the school safe. He promised..._

 _Fuck Dumbledore!_

She was speaking now, playing on the enormous ego of the man. She really wanted to save Severus by pacifying him, offering the baby to the freak even. _Foolish girl!_

 _Didn't she know how meaningless it was? How wasteful to risk her own life and the baby's too?_

Not only was he a useless, unloveable waste of space - he was practically dead already, by her own spell moreover. The Unbreakable Vow would kill him within months even if he somehow managed to get out of this shit. The long hours and days he had spent researching showed that there was no way to break the Bond that he had sworn to free her from... The best he could always hope for were seeing the baby girl when she is born and helping Hermione for as long as he could.

His mind reeling from all the possible outcomes of this impossible situation that she had created by not being able to obey the only order he had given to her, he confirmed her story about the baby as there was nothing to do about that anyway; her pregnancy was well visible now and there was no denying it even as he wished the monster would never know of it.

Merlin, he even had to prompt the girl to listen to the freak as if she didn't know that disobeying him meant certain death in her case.

But then she looked him in the eye, mouthing that she is sorry and he didn't understand her at that moment - why did she come in the first place if she was sorry for it?! Why couldn't she stay put?!

The next second she kicked him so hard that he stopped thinking for a while.

 _FUCK!_

 _That hurt!_

 _Merlin, his balls!_

He very much doubted he still had some now.

 _Shit!_

 _Breathe, just breathe..._

So she came to take vengeance? Couldn't she do that at home and spare him the laughing crowd of his 'colleagues'?! He knew he deserved it but still...

 _Oh, Salazar..._

Finally, he managed to collect himself from the floor so that he would not be punished for lazing about.

"Nice. Your toy disturbed our lovely session though. She is yours to punish for that," his Master suggested and he froze, only managing a bow in a reply.

 _No, he is not going to do that, he will not hurt her again, ever, no matter what. He promised her that, he promised it to himself. She is his to protect and treasure, not to torment. He won't be haunted again in his dreams by being forced to harm her._

"Hit her," the Dark Lord specified his orders.

He heard her urging him quietly to do it too.

 _No, he won't._

"I won't," he answered and waited for the inevitable pain. Better him than her, there was no question about that.

It came as he was sure it would. Blinding hot and excruciating as always, not matter if one expected it or not. Much worse than her well aimed kick but much better than him hurting her instead.

He knew the monster would not kill him; he would grow curious as usual. He used this particular curse nearly always just to let off some steam that he was constantly full of, to alleviate his current anger; only rarely was he mad enough to overdo it to the extend that Severus would not endure. There were more amusing ways to kill a person and the freak knew it the best of them all.

If he would not whimper and make it through with his dignity intact, he would be fine. They would be fine.

So he clenched his mouth shut and tried to breathe when he could, using the method he had spent years perfecting.

And it worked. The curse was lifted.

"Care to explain?"

 _Oh, curiosity killed the Dark Lord, you fucking little bigot._

So he told him the story he made up in a hurry, apologizing without seeming weak - hopefully - and trying to excuse the girl too.

For a moment he thought it worked - before he saw the man touching his girl and their baby. Anger and protectiveness accumulated at the tips of his fingers and he felt his magic rebel against being confined and not lash against the wizard who was threatening his girls. His family.

Merlin, he had a family to take care of. He had responsibility. He had to look after them.

 _Fuck Dumbledore, he WILL kill the monster for this, whatever the old fool said!_

Just as he was about to strike, the Dark Lord sneered contently and returned to his seat.

He knew it was not the end though.

"Fuck her," he ordered, obviously happy about his idea of fun, and Severus felt his anger flare anew.

The old fool had always bragged how the thing of a man was feeble against the power of love and he had a ton of that in his fingers now. He very much doubted Potter would ever be able to strike as well, surprisingly and easily as he would now.

 _He has to protect his family. They will not be hurt ever again, by anyone, Severus included._

 _He will kill the monster, here and now, he felt he could._

 _Then he will go and kill Nagini too before the nutter manages to resurrect._

Neither had the chance to happen though for Hermione took his hand into hers, making all the raw magic - very violent and wild in its nature although it was fueled by pure love - seep out of him in a single second.

She couldn't be hurt, there was not the slightest possibility of that, no matter the circumstances. He couldn't afford to do anything even remotely dangerous while she was in the same room...

So he let himself be lead by her to a nearby wall and watched her naked form - for the first time in months. She was as beautiful as he remembered. Even more so if it was possible.

If he couldn't kill the bastard then he would have to play along, succumb to both her plan and the orders of his Master. Let himself be forced to do this again. Against his will, against everything that was good for her.

Damn, if there was a safe way out, he would take just about anything. Anything else than this.

Sure, she suggested she had wanted him only a few hours prior - her motivation might rather dubious but it was clear she had meant it. Now it was just about simple survival, he had no doubt about it. Whatever reason she had to come here, she obviously wanted to get out too. He was just a part of that plan.

So he closed his eyes, took a deep breath... and did it. Again.

Forcing everything else away, he let his body enjoy hers, the physical pleasure battling with the psychical torture.

Finally, it was done. Nothing could take it back.

* * *

He felt regret and sorrow, hated himself with a passion that he hadn't felt in months. But, as usual, the insecurity and sadness turned into anger and got aimed at the only person that was there with him.

"For Merlin's sake, Hermione! Why did you come there!? Nothing would have happened if you just obeyed me! You could get killed!" he told her as soon as they arrived home, fully expecting her to just admit that and maybe say sorry. But he was mistaken this time.

"It was _you_ who would be killed and it was _my_ decision to go! No one forced me!" the girl replied, raising her voice agitatedly.

 _So she REALLY though she was saving him! Fuck!_

"I explicitly told you _not_ to! You have no obligation to protect me anyhow!" he reminded her.

"You cannot order me around and keep me at home all the time, I am not your House Elf! You have no obligation to protect me either!" She was all but yelling at him now.

 _WHAT?!_

"Really? I very much suppose that I do!" he corrected her, throwing his bloodied cloak on the hanger just so he would do something with his hands.

"You do? You do?! Just because you knocked me up you suppose I cannot take care of myself?!"

 _The cheeky little chit!_

"Of course not!" he told her, exasperated and heading to the kitchen to pour himself something so he would calm down a bit.

 _What about seizing a bottle of Firewhiskey and escaping to the lab till SHE calms down?_

 _Oh, Severus, you are such a coward when it comes to women_ , he reprimanded himself mentally and nearly groaned aloud as he turned his back to her.

"Where do you think you are going?! You are hurt!" he heard her yelling from the hallway and cringed.

 _He HATED arguing with her like this._

"To the kitchen, obviously! And I am FINE!" he bellowed, still angry and restless.

 _Weren't people with Stockholm Syndrome supposed to be a bit more pliant?_

But the sight that met him as he entered the room managed to freeze him in place immediately. A home made Pensive and his memories for Potter, everything spread on the kitchen table.

So this was why she had come. She saw how miserable and pitiful he was, loving a dead woman for decades without ever being required. Swearing to protect Potter, her friend.

She was simply sorry for him, maybe she thought him a martyr of sorts.

 _Fuck!_

Will she start calling him Snivellus as well?

"I see you had a good time while I was away," he snapped bitterly. Didn't he ask her to just bring the memories to Potter after he would die?

"I didn't," she objected.

"No? Wasn't it fun, watching your poor old professor, still in love with your best friend's mother, crying over her dead body?" he asked mockingly, feeling derisive and angry.

Deep down, he knew she didn't mean it and that he was just being mean to her to take vengeance for his hurt pride but he just couldn't force himself to behave rationally at that moment.

 _Damn, she has to think him such a wretch now!_

There was a few second of silence and it made him look back at her instead of watching the Pensive to avoid the pity he was sure to see in her eyes.

She looked shocked. Why?

"You... You love Harry's mother? Lily Potter? That was the girl from the photo?" she asked him, her eyes wide and acting as if she didn't know that already.

"Lily Evans, that was her name when we first met. And please stop this show, it is not needed nor helpful," he told her and sat down on one of the two simple wooden chairs, suddenly very tired and in no mood to explain that the nature of that love was very different from what he felt to Hermione.

"What show? I didn't look at the memories, I don't know what they are," she said defensively and sat on the second chair, pushing the Pensive away from herself and then crossing her hands over her chest.

"Really? So _why_ did you come for me?" he inquired, trying to keep the malice out of his voice even as he started to feel frustrated about himself.

 _If she really didn't know then he has just screwed this up quite royally..._

"I admit I was about to look at the memories - I was tidying up to busy myself and got curious, I am sorry for that. But then you summoned me and I went to take the potion. I saw your message on the bottom of it and I just couldn't leave you there to die. I thought it was worth the try. You never left me," she explained, avoiding his eyes same as he previously did to her.

 _Shit. He did screw this up quite royally..._

"I don't care who you love. I care for you anyway. I like you too, you know, whatever crazy psychological theories you decide to pull on me. That's why I came," she added a tad later, nearly whispering with her head down.

It took Severus' breath away, stunning him effectually.

Damn, he couldn't even think of any caustic remark to lighten up what he had just heard. She said it in a way that left no doubt that she was speaking the truth, unbelievable as it was. She said it even though she knew him, though she knew about Lily, though she knew about nearly everything that was wrong with him.

 _Which means..._

 _What the hell does it mean?_

 _Were they screwed up together now? Or were they not screwed at all?_

He honestly didn't know, never having his feelings towards anyone - except his mother perhaps - reciprocated to any extend.

Fuck, at the moment he didn't even care if she really suffered from Stockholm Syndrome, the selfish bastard that he was; he longed to feel the way he was feeling right now for so many years that he couldn't bring himself to spoil it. Ruin the light prickling around his chest, the lightheadedness that threatened to swallow him at any second, the spark that grew inside of him and was just about to tear him apart, couldn't clear the fog in his head and the mist around his tingling eyes. He could not make himself destroy even a single of these confusing sensations that proved just how happy he was as he had never truly had it before.

Maybe he could have it, for a few months at least, before the Vow would kill him. Maybe it would last that long. Maybe he could let it happen, as long as he doesn't use it against her or anyone else...

He startled suddenly as a hand sneaked into his, the slim fingers tangling with his long digits.

"Come, we should get you fixed. You are bleeding all over the floor," she said and pulled lightly at him to make him stand up and follow her.

He did. He would follow her to the end of the world and beyond.

Always.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading!_

 _The next chapter will take place after some time will have passed - about a few months away from this one. I haven't started writing it yet so you still have a chance to tell me who should be its narrator - who are you interested in the most, guys?_

 _I can't wait to hear what you think!_

 _Hugs and kisses to you all!_


	73. Chapter 73

_Hello, my friends!_

 _A light and smutty chapter ahead :-)_

 _Hope you will have a good time reading!_

 _Dedicated to **EspressoPatronum13** for being the last addition to the fans of this story and also a person with a wonderful nickname! I love it!_

* * *

CHAPTER 73

It was September 19th and Hermione groaned as she was trying to find a position which would not cause her back to hurt even more than it already was. Fishing up all the pillows that Severus had conjured for her to make her comfortable, she worked for nearly ten minutes to built a passable cocoon on their bed to settle in and read.

Their bed... She did not know when exactly did she start to think about it as 'their' but it was surely some weeks after she had caught him staring silently at her in the middle of the night and invited him to join her there if it would help him to fall asleep. Reluctantly, he did, spending the first night sitting next to her, fully dressed and not even once dozing off. Not giving up, she pleaded with him the next day after dinner to spend the night with her again, claiming that it made her sleep better and sure enough, she had his company again with not a single objection. Finally, the third day she found him asleep when she woke up due to her necessary and regular nightly visits to the toilet. It was her first victory; the first step in breaking through the hard shell of the hard man.

He was not that sharp around her any more though; ever since their return from the Fortress and her declaration of her feelings towards him, he was much more open to touches and physical contact in general. He was not flinching when she decided to embrace him or take his hand, they also kissed lightly when they said hello and goodbye to each other.

Still, the biggest difference was the least obvious; his open smiles, his teasing jokes and the cheerful spark in his eyes. All in all, he seemed truly happy. Maybe it was partly for looking forward to become a father but she thought it had more to do with feeling wanted due to her admission.

She was not deluding herself though; he still needed to be approached as a wild animal, being tamed step by step and sometimes it required a lot of coaxing and patience to make him do something that he considered 'improper' - like sleeping with her in the same bed.

He was a good bed mate at least - not snoring, not tossing around, not reaching into her half of the bed. She usually found him in the very same position she saw him fall asleep in. She had to admit that his presence was honestly making her sleep better as she was now much more relaxed and feeling safer when in his presence - even her constant nightmares seemed to abate as the time went by.

Maybe he was a too good bed mate even - sometimes she wanted him to reach to her, hold her and cuddle for a bit. _Make love perhaps..._

 _Merlin, if someone told her a year ago that she would be spending her 19th birthday in a bed she liked to share with Severus Snape, carrying his baby and reading 'Childbirth; the Mediwitch guide' - the most terrifying book she had ever read by the way - while daydreaming about said man, she would laugh that person in the face for minutes._

 _How crazy life was sometimes..._

Groaning, she rubbed her back and tried again to reorganize her pillows to ease the strain to her spine.

Suddenly, she heard the Floo activate and startled at that; it was still morning and Severus was supposed to be at Hogwarts, working, browbeating and headmastering.

 _What happened? Is he hurt? Why would he come here now?_

 _Or is it someone else? Has someone infiltrated his office?_

As fast as her fat and aching body let her, she collected herself from the bed and grabbed her wand to point it at the door.

It took a few minutes but finally it was Severus who opened them, smiling at her and making her lower her wand.

"Merlin, Severus! What are you doing here at this time? You startled me!" she said accusingly although she was in fact happy to see him, especially as he appeared alright and uninjured.

"Hello to you too! I just thought that maybe you would want to take a walk with me? If you are not too busy?" he said, curiously enough a bit shy for a reason.

 _A walk? To the living room? Kitchen? Did he want to show her something?_

"Eh... fine. Why not?" she answered, still a bit confused but considerably calmer now that it seemed that no emergency was imminent.

Severus smiled and walked closer to her, offering her his arm. She took it and watched him questioningly for any hint of what is about to happen - his initiating any kind of physical contact was still rather rare so it made her take notice of something unusual going on.

Not saying anything, he lead her to the hallway and held her long unused cloak for her, obviously about to help her into it.

 _Why? Were they going OUT?_

Dumbfounded but trusting him to not do anything stupid, she slipped into the cloak and took his arm again.

It was really him, she was sure of that; he smelled exactly right. So she let herself be escorted first to the fireplace and then to his office. Next they headed to the exit and she couldn't hold the question no longer.

"Where are we going?" she asked, trying to sound just slightly interested and not as excited as she indeed was.

"You will see. Don't worry, it's not dangerous. I have made some arrangements," he said, smiling mysteriously.

 _What was he planning? Did he intend to meet someone with her? Did he want to show her something that couldn't be brought into the house to her?_

Once they were out of the office, she kept looking around nervously, expecting to see someone at any moment. No one got into her sight for minutes though, not even when they entered the Entrance Hall.

"Where is everyone?" she asked again, curious and a bit tense.

"Mostly at Hogsmeade, the younger ones in their dormitories. The staff is watching over them. We are not about to meet anyone," he said and opened the massive gate wandlessly, just by waving his hand.

Fresh air gushed by her and blew her hair away from her face. She breathed deeply in, relishing in the smell of sun on the freshly mowed grass.

She hadn't been out for months.

Merlin, how she had missed it!

Feeling the corners of her mouth going up with no instruction from her, she searched Severus' face again. All she could see was him watching her in return, a look of wonder, probably comparable to hers, on his face. He never stopped looking at her only though.

Taking her hand shyly, he lead her towards the lake.

It was as clear and beautiful as she remembered, Dark Lord rule or not. Its surface was glimmering in the sunlight, casting the glints and gleams in all directions.

Besides the library, the lake was always her favorite place at Hogwarts and now she was reminded why exactly.

She nearly started crying from seeing it again, so many happy memories flooding her mind.

 _Not that she would become so emotional; it was just the pregnancy hormones_ , she told herself, trying to convince her own feelings.

"Why are we here?" she asked mostly to have something else to focus on.

"I told you already - you agreed to take a walk with me, did you not?" he answered her with a question and she nudged his arm playfully.

"I did, of course, but you know what I mean so stop being a prat about this and tell me!" she told him, trying to sound indignant instead of petulant and not succeeding very much at that.

"Really, there is not so much to tell; I just thought that you might like to be outside for a while so I arranged that. Perhaps we could take our lunch here too today," he said, gesturing the edge of the lake where she only now noticed was a blanked spread out, a picnic basked on it.

Smiling widely, she nodded and took his hand again, letting him lead her there.

It was by far the best lunch she had ever had; the simple but tasty sandwiches that he had prepared for them surpassing any luxury menu in some posh restaurant - the view on the lake was much nicer than any upscale settings and his company was ever so pleasant and attentive.

Content a relaxed, she watched the charming surface of the lake as he tasked himself to put away the empty plates and glasses.

"Thank you, it was perfect," she praised him as soon was done and sat next to her on the blanket, his legs crossed as hers was and looking very much out of place, pale and dressed in the high collar black tweed robes while he was basking in the late summer sun.

"You are welcome. Only the best for my girls," he teased her, giving her belly a sideways glance.

She nudged him playfully, taking the bait for about the millionth time.

"It's going to be a boy and I bet you know it! You shouldn't be talking to him like that!" she claimed as so many times before and stroked her belly to comfort the baby for having such a foolish father.

"You know what?" he asked her rhetorically and wrapped his arm around her, still a bit hesitant about the contact but making her immediately feel much safer and more comfortable. She looked at him, her eyebrow raised questioningly even as she felt the corners of her mouth go up.

"It doesn't matter to me at all. For all I care the baby could turn out to be a manticore - a male one even - and I would still be proud to claim myself as his father," he said, entwining his other hand with her right one that still lingered on her belly.

As much as the statement touched her by its sincerity, the image of Severus changing a diaper of a little crying manticore popped up in her head and a laugh burst out of her mouth against her will.

"Merlin, Severus! You have just called our child a manticore!" she tried to sound outraged but failed spectacularly as she couldn't make herself stop laughing.

"Well, someone had to come up with a name finally! It's you who would not tell me how you plan to name her," he defended himself.

"Him!" she corrected him again but couldn't really muster any annoyance at his teasing. She loved it when he was being this open and cheerful.

"Him or her, I am going to call the baby Manticore till you tell me," he threatened and she poked his ribs in vengeance.

"Fine, as long as you shorten it - it's really a too long name for a small baby. Let's call him 'Man'. 'Little Man' sounds just fine to me," she concluded, a taste of victory already in her mouth.

"And here I thought _I_ am the Slytherin here," he pronounced dramatically, seeing through her ploy immediately. And started tickling her, his fingers infallibly finding her sensitive sides.

Oh, God, she cursed the day he had learned that she was so ticklish! She would swear her giggles and squeals could be heard as far as the Rawenclaw Tower and still he didn't seem to want to stop, obviously reveling in her laughing torture.

Desperate and not knowing how else to stop him - without resolving to magic or violence - she pressed her lips to his when she saw them passing over her, hoping to give him a pause at least.

It worked, instantly.

Suppressing a victorious snort, which would surely sound quite unbecoming at the moment, she let herself enjoy his taste and lazily explored his mouth with her tongue, savouring his smell and the sensations of his warm body pressed to hers.

A whole swarm of butterflies - especially passionate ones! - flooded her lower body, tingling and demanding her attention.

 _Damn this man! Couldn't he at least do something repulsive now so that she would not get that horny again?!_

But Severus just didn't do 'repulsive'. Period.

So she found herself increasingly frustrated and at the same time unable to cancel their passionate embrace, especially as she felt him tenderly caressing her side where he had been previously tickling her.

Now it didn't tickle at all for some reason.

She wrapped her hand around his neck and then into his hair, feeling the silky strands slide through her fingers while she held him to herself.

Not that the wouldn't kiss before but they never had so much physical contact to accompany it as they were having now. They were in the exact position that would have allowed just about anything if they were naked...

Moving her leg so that it would not go in the way for him to come closer, she couldn't help to notice that there was something VERY hard inside his pants and she felt something like tugging inside of her - and it definitely wasn't the baby doing it.

 _Merlin, how she would like to accommodate that hard part of him..._

 _He is going to disagree with that though._

 _Damn, is she his girlfriend or not?!_

Breaking their kiss, she looked him hard in the eyes and tried for the tone that had always worked so far to make him listen to her.

"I want you to make love to me," she said, a bit breathy but still convincingly resolute and adamant. She saw him frown a bit and open his mouth which meant he was going to say something along the lines of 'no'.

No way she was letting him.

"I don't want to hear any rubbish about psychology or about it not being good for the baby. I and the baby are both perfectly fine and it's not hurting anyone if we are careful so don't even try it. I am your girlfriend and it's my birthday today and I want you to make love to me. Now," she demanded, not a tiny bit sorry about her attitude. She had tried 'subtle' before, getting nowhere with him.

He stopped in his tracks for a moment and then moved away from her. She watched him as he got up, incredulous at his gall to not even answer her.

"Where are you going?" she tried to make it sound like a threat but succeeded only in a pitiful whimpering voice.

She was quite certain he was not too mad at her and she knew for sure he was not leaving her - if anything, Severus' strongest trait was loyalty and he simply would not abandon her like that over a few sentences in a sensitive situation. But it was quite possible she had upset him by her demand and so he did not want to be here with her right now and-

"Home," he answered simply, waving his hand over the blanket and packing everything up to be able to shrink it.

She made a quiet sad sound, expressing her unwillingness to part with the sunshine and fresh air.

He froze again at hearing it, watching her closely.

"You want to do it _here?_ I warded the area but still someone could-"

 _What? He agreed?! He agreed!_

 _Whoa!_

She didn't bother to listen to the rest of his explanation and employed all her strength and focus to get herself off the ground and into the castle so she could get into the bed, her inner voice still rejoicing and cheering at the developments.

And yes, of course she didn't want to do it here, outside, in the middle of the day and in front of a school with possible onlookers. It was just that sometimes she let herself be carried away and didn't think things through properly before-

She noticed she was nearly running back to school, leaving the slightly befuddled Severus a step behind her. That wouldn't do; she needed him for that, necessarily. So she turned around and grabbed his hand, smiling widely at him so he could see how happy she was about his acquiescence.

 _This is really going to be her best birthday._

As soon as they stumbled out of the fireplace, she kissed him again, relishing in the feeling of his lips against hers and the idea of this leading to anything else than the usual frustration got her even more excited.

Slowly, she unbuttoned his robes to get to his shirt so she could finally reach his skin. By the time she succeeded and wrapped her hands around his lean but muscular torso, she could feel herself being significantly wet.

Merlin, all he did to her so far was kissing. She really needed this to happen for far too long...

She let her eyes roam over his body and again realized that she really liked what she was seeing - for once without the usual bruises and cuts even. She still couldn't understand why he was hiding his body so much from everyone and why he was obviously so ashamed of it. Sure, he was slim and there were various scars all over him but other than that he had a very well shaped and defined body of an attractive young man.

She moved her hands to rest on his butt and was delighted to notice he didn't flinch away from her touch, not even a tiny bit, probably getting comfortable with her close presence at last.

Another victory of this day.

Smiling, she took him by his undone shirt and pulled so he would know she wanted him to follow her. She lead him to their bed and pushed him to sit on it so she would be able to resume their kiss and not to have to tilt her head back so much.

Feeling his hand tentatively brushing over her hips she took them and placed on her breasts. He made a low delighted groan in his throat that sent a jet of eagerness into her belly.

God, she wanted him. _Now._

Pulling her loose dress over her head, she seated herself astride his lap and tried to undress him too. After a while, she saw he was helping her, a bit of something that had to be only impatience in his movements.

 _So someone is a bit eager too after all..._

Trying not to smile, she appraised his naked body under hers and resumed their kissing while she stroked his torso with her hands - she was certainly not willing to part with the sight with no compensation to her other senses.

He was physically so unlike her; he was so thin while she was getting so fat, he was so hard and firm while she was all soft and frail...

Still, he seemed to want her as she was constantly reminded by that now fully erect part of him that she could feel against her thighs. _She couldn't be that ugly to him, even like this_ , she tried to reason with herself to succeed in pushing her distracting worries away so that she could fully enjoy this moment.

"You are so beautiful," she heard him say at the moment as if he were reading her mind. She saw him giving her the adoring look that she had never seen him give anyone else.

"So are you," she answered and kissed him again.

 _And enjoy this she will_ , she decided and groaned as she seated herself on him, joining them finally and immediately feeling some of the tension recede from her.

 _Merlin, did she just forget how good this was? Or is it the long gap since the last time?_

 _How could they NOT do this every day?_

But then he placed one hand on her breast and the second on her clitoris and all coherent thoughts and ideas left her.

* * *

Still rather breathy and more sweaty than she would like to admit but more satisfied and content that she had been in months, she rested with her head on his shoulder and lazily stroked his chest that he for once had left revealed for her.

"That was... Awesome, Severus," she said quietly and saw the corners of his mouth tug up. So he was pleased by the praise, not unlike any other man would be...

"So were you," he told her in return and by the tender look in his eyes she knew that he really meant it.

"Thank you. For doing this for me as well. I know you still have your reservations and I didn't really mean to order you around because I know you hate being with no choice but I-" she tried to explain her actions when suddenly an avalanche of hellish racket got to them, most likely from the hallway and she startled at that, sitting up and covering herself in alert.

Looking around, she saw Severus - although his senses and paranoia usually made him much quicker and more reactive in situations like this - only rub his hand across face as if he was annoyed by forgetting something.

"That's fine," he told her.

"I am glad you are not angry with me but aren't you hearing that?" she asked and waved her hand in the general direction of the noise.

He stopped rubbing his face and sat up too at least. Then he smiled again, surprising her once more.

"That's what I meant; it's fine. It's just your birthday present not wanting to be waiting for you any longer," he informed her, a sheepish half smile forming on his lips.

 _What the hell?!_

* * *

 _So that's it, guys! Hope you liked it at least a tiny bit :-)_

 _Before you ask - no, the war is not over although they have made some progress in it which will be described in the next chapter. Severus just wanted to make this day as carefree as possible so as to not spoil Hermione's birthday by discussing their plans and worries :-)_

 _I also think you already know what is the present? You are a bunch of really clever guys!_

 _Tell me in your reviews? Please?_

 _Love to you all!_


	74. Chapter 74

_Hello, guys!_  
 _A brand new chapter - all ready for you. I can't wait to see if you will like it :-)_

 _Dedicated to **SweetDarkAngelz** for her spot on prediction and also a very helpful intake to the story. Also big thanks and hugs for the ultimate super cool reader and reviewer - thank you so much again, **KagomeLove2.**_

* * *

CHAPTER 74

Severus was just disinfecting his hands magically - for the fifth time that evening - and fought hard not to growl aloud with frustration and the feeling of his own uselessness.

Never before had a spell invention taken him so much time and effort. Never before he had killed so many animals while trying to master it. Never before had he tried to create anything so profoundly against his very nature, spending most of his life doing the exact opposite.

"Go and fetch another one," he told the ginger haired feline that insisted on accompanying him and helped him out with quickly obtaining an unbelievably huge number of 'guinea pigs' - namely rats - for his trials, doing more for the castle sanitation in the last few weeks than Filch had done in years.

Sure, he could have conjured the rodents but again there were way too many in the castle already and he developed rather considerable dislike towards them the moment he discovered what Pettigrew's animagus form was. Plus it made the cat happy. It was Hermione's cat so he had to take care of his happiness too.

It was sheer luck that he had discovered the animal roaming the halls of the school, obviously searching for something - his mistress, most likely. He didn't know why the cat didn't stay at home with Hermione's family - which she still resolutely refused to discuss other than retelling a few very far away memories - but it managed to somehow get on the train in London and then arrive at Hogwarts. For a few months, no one noticed the stray animal and it made him reconsider the warding system on the castle - so alongside completely closing the school up to any intruders, sealing all secret passageways and pass-through portraits, now it was sporting a wholly new set of wards against all kids of animals, both magical and muggle.

Of course, Crookshanks was not the one excluded; his girl liked him and the creature adored Hermione in return. For some strange reason, he seemed to accept Severus too.

So now they were together in an old secret tunnel, trying to find a way to defeat Voldemort and letting Hermione get her rest as they both seemed to get on her nerves while they constantly worried about her and watched for any sights of a starting childbirth.

A loud bout of purring resounded from behind him and he turned to see the cat looking very smug with his mouth full of a particularly feisty rat, still twitching and fighting to free itself.

"That was the quickest yet, I suppose. Good job there," he praised the feline, not even realizing he was talking to it as if it were human.

The cat purred even louder, not minding the man's approach in the slightest, and deposited the rodent into a small enchanted cage that immediately sealed to keep it in. Then he proudly sat next to it and resumed his work on licking his front paws.

Looking pensively at his weathered notebook, he considered the last incantation that he theorized might work.

Damn, he had spent so much precious time with this. He couldn't let this fail. It was still their best hope...

The first and most obvious choice was, of course, letting The Chosen One do his job and kill the freak but that one failed spectacularly when he and Hermione decided to approach the boy and tried to find some way to cooperate and help him. To make a long story short, they were harshly refused with the implication that they were - both - not trusted enough and that the three boys would find their own way to get rid of the Dark Lord. Hermione cried a lot after that particular encounter and the mere memory of that made Severus clench his fists and jaws in anger even today.

So they were left with no savior to off the monster and a baby very much on the way. A baby that could not be safely born and live while the said Lord was still all but ruling the Wizarding World. They could not wait till Potter decided to get himself killed by trying to pull off any harebrained plan that they would manage to put together.

They could think of basically three option how to disable the freak enough to pose no threat without actually trying to kill him - or rather his body - since that was supposedly impossible for them.

Firstly, they considered trying to push the man through The Veil, much in the same way Black managed to do to himself. No Horcrux would save him from that and all that was left from his soul would remain in Potter as they had managed to poison Nagini two weeks ago - it was his idea to do so, slipping the poison into a prisoner's pocket while he was heading for execution. The Dark Lord's habit of letting the snake eat people -with clothes on even - finally bit him in the ass in the most ironic way. Severus was still limping - and probably always would - due to the subsequent rage fit that rendered the dark wizard crazy for a few hours but he still considered that a very mild price.

After the boy made his girl cry the last time, he briefly considered poisoning Potter too - just to be safe that the Horcrux in him would not ever prevail, of course - but Hermione objected. Strongly. So it was not done. For now.

Damn, The Veil plan was still somewhat valid but highly unpractical since they would have to lure the Dark Lord to the Department of Mysteries at the Death Eater festered Ministry of Magic as they had no way to transfer The Veil to any other place.

Secondly, they tried to find a way to get Voldemort kissed by a Dementor so that his soul would be destroyed while his body - which contained the Blood Magic protection that was passed to him from Potter, or rather Lily - would wait patiently and harmlessly for Potter when he decided to get it killed. The Dark Lord could not cast the Patronus so he should be rather helpless against that. But all the known Dementors were still on the monster's - and Ministry's - side so it was currently impossible to get one, let alone convince it somehow to do the job and feed on the last disgusting bit of the man's soul.

So now they were working on the third option - expelling the Dark Lord from his body, contain the soul bit and then destroy it in the same way they destroyed the Horcruxes since they had proven they could do that; with Griffindor's Sword.

Based on what Hermione had told him about Dumbledore's theories which he had shared with Potter, the Dark Lord was not able to withstand being in the body that was filled with love. So the point was making him - or his body at least - feel love.

 _Sending him flowers on dead corpses and inviting him to fancy dinners unfortunately won't do_ , Severus nearly growled, thinking hard as he again surveyed his notes and tried to find where he had made a mistake in his calculations.

 _That incantation SHOULD have worked. Why didn't it?_

 _Damn, why couldn't this be done with a potion? Potions were so much easier than spellwork..._

 _Merlin, he was babbling again. No potion can create true love. True love comes from the heart and soul, not from a cauldron; otherwise he would have loads for his entire life._

Maybe it was not even possible to transmit. Maybe he was wasting all the time...

Maybe he should have let Hermione try it; she was much more open and sensitive than he was, it would be easier for her. But spell experiments were dangerous, even life threatening on times. He would not let her anywhere near that, especially with the Little One still with her.

So that was why he was here, deep down under the castle in a hermetically sealed hallway with only a cat and a rat (along with a bunch of dead ones) for company.

He picked up the cage and looked the angry rodent in it's black eyes, feeling for a moment like he was looking in his own.

That's what had happened to the last one; it went crazy for a reason and started biting and scratching itself so he had to kill it before it would cause too much pain. Hating the creatures didn't mean he would permit them to suffer needlessly.

That thought along with the hatred he saw directed at him from the rat made him pause for a moment.

Maybe that was it; he hated the rat and he hated himself and it didn't matter much that he was thinking about his love for Hermione while he cast the spell. Maybe it was a bit more physical. Maybe he should try to maintain physical contact with someone else than the rat only. Maybe if he took on another member to the constellation, the spell would focus on the relationship he had with the other being and start transmitting that feeling...

His eyes strayed to the cat that was now ostentatiously licking his butt.

He swallowed nervously and scratched his nose.

 _Fuck, Hermione will kill him for this._

* * *

Feeling like a total moron, he stood in the corridor, holding an enraged rat by its tail in one hand and a highly uncomfortable tomcat, warded with everything that would protect it from a possible explosion, in his other hand while the cat was doing everything in it's power to get out of his grasp and catch the rat.

Damn, if he was about to have an accident due to lack of concentration, it would be now.

Snorting in amusement at his own inadequacy, he imagined that offing himself here and now by accident could bring certain kind of funny irony; after twenty years of being a double agent between two most dangerous and powerful wizards in the world, countless torture sessions and battles, he would die here, covered in animal hair while trying to make a rat feel his 'emotional bond' with a cat. Moreover, his famous last words would be rather smooth-tongued " _Here, kitty kitty._ " An end truly worthy of his 'badass Death Eater Headmaster of Hogwarts who killed Dumbledore' reputation.

 _Fuck him backwards._

 _Focus!_ he ordered himself mentally and closed his eyes, making sure to direct all the wandless magic towards the rat so that the constantly meowing cat would stay safe.

 _Adducere mihi mens suggesserit_ , he pronounced in his head and cringed a bit in anticipation.

No 'boom', no more pissed rat's squealing, the cat never stopped meowing.

Checking the cat first, he could see it was perfectly fine, only a bit confused maybe.

 _Hermione won't kill him. If she won't find out he tried this, that is._

He exhaled in relief and felt his shoulder muscles loosen as the pressure lifted off him.

Turning his attention to the rat and fully expecting to find it dead, he was shocked to see it watch him in the very same way the cat had been; rather confused but curious and unexpectedly calm and trusting. No sign of it getting crazy, not even bleeding from its ears.

His heart started beating at a double speed.

 _Merlin, it worked! It finally worked!_

Feeling a wide smile tug at the corners of his mouth, he let it unfold in full. No one would see here anyway.

 _It worked! Actually worked!_

He had to fight himself to not immediately go and tell Hermione. He still had to test this and try it at least twice more with different rats just to be sure and not make her disappointed.

* * *

The effect of the spell lasted something about 5 minutes - on rats at least - which should be more than enough to expel the monster from its body. It should work.

 _He will first test it on different species to see if the time didn't vary too much and then-_

"Severus!"

He froze. He knew that tone and it was not good.

True enough, he heard footsteps, quicker than usual, and undoubtedly angry tone bellowed once more, nearing to him.

"Severus! Were you experimenting with our cat?!"

 _Shit!_

She emerged in the hallway, the old jingle bell she had found along with his childhood photos tied on a long chain around her neck so that it rested on her belly. He still considered it rather touching that she chose to wear it, claiming that if the baby would get used to it while it is still in her belly, it would calm it down as a familiar sound once it would be born. Tearing his eyes from her belly, he noticed the traitorous animal sat nestled in her arms, looking a bit guilty. He shot it a look.

 _No more fish pies for you, you little menace._

She raised her wand towards him and waved it in an arch over him, casting something he didn't know. He managed to not move even as he was rather surprised she would draw her wand on him for this; she wasn't usually like that. But of course, she had right to-

"You warded the cat while doing something dangerous but you didn't ward yourself?! Damn, Severus! Were you thinking at all?! Something could have happened to you and-"

Merlin, he had forgotten to cancel the wards on the cat. She correctly judged that he would forget to cancel it on himself too as he usually took more care about the animal than himself. He was not going to win this.

Still, it warmed him a lot inside to see she was angry because he could get hurt and not because he might have endangered her - _their,_ as she often stressed out - cat.

He smiled a bit again, lately a rather common habit of his. Strange things could happen to a man when he was with a witch that was anything like his Hermione for some time.

It was not a good strategy though, as it made her pause and narrow her eyes at him, a palpable threat in her voice now.

 _Fuck..._

"- and you are _smiling_ about this?! Is it _funny_ to you? You know how nervous I am when you disappear to the castle to work on that spell and you have the gall to smile at me like this when I am worrying sick about you?!" she accused him and put the cat gently to the floor so she could have her hands free to gesticulate and to better scold him.

"I got it," he informed her, trying not to sound too proud.

"Got it? You say you got it and you are still smiling! Come on, Severus! You really should take more care to-"

"No, I don't mean that. I mean I got the spell to work. It works; or at least it worked on the rats," he told her while trying to stop smiling at her display of affection to him.

She stopped in her tracks immediately.

"You managed it? Really? Wow! Why didn't you say it earlier?!" she exclaimed, surprise and happiness evident in her face while she watched him with bright and sparkling eyes.

"It was actually the first thing I said after arriving home. It took a while before I was permitted to speak," he teased her and instantly she blushed and looked down.

"Sorry," she murmured sheepishly and gave him the gall to go and hug her gently. She looked up at him, smiling at him.

"No reason to be," he told her honestly, still all warm inside from another proof of her caring for him; he hadn't really gotten used to it yet and probably never would.

She smiled up at him and the spark returned to her eyes in the next second.

"So what was it? Have you adjusted the incantation after all? The intent? Or was it something else?" she inquired, her curiosity winning over everything as usual.

"No, the incantation was fine and it actually works - the only problem is that it transfers the sentiments you feel towards the being you are touching so it was not working with rats; it only made them mad with hatred or dead because I don't particularly like them and the rat's brain is not made to withstand strong and complex human emotions. It would not work with the Dark Lord either as there is probably no human alive who would love him and especially not me. So it was needed to touch someone else too - someone you feel that particular emotion to. I borrowed y- our - cat for that and I am sorry I didn't tell you in advance."

"You... love Crookshanks?" she asked and was obviously trying not to laugh aloud.

He chuckled.

"No, not really. Sorry about that. But I like him well enough to see the rat pacified and inclined to accept me as a result, it behaved towards me in the very same way the cat does for a few minutes. It works with any emotion apparently," he summarized the results and she went thoughtful for a few seconds.

"You do realize that we will have to test it on humans too, right? Which means we will have to wait till Little Man is born as there is no one else than us that we could trust with that plan. You will have to test it with me. And we will have to cast it together, which also settles the question of who will use the spell on Voldemort," she shared her thoughts with him after a while and made his Mark twitch in pain and the blood leave his face at once.

Fuck, she was right; he hadn't thought about it before, the moron that he was, but he couldn't do this alone if the spell required touching someone you love. He would have to face the Dark Lord with her at his side, there will be no way to keep her safe.

He felt his jaws clench and was angry at himself once more.

Turning on his heel, he aimed back to the fireplace.

"Where are you going?" she asked his back.

 _Shit, he might be irritated but he still should keep his manners._ He turned back to her to respond, his voice calm despite his renewed anger and frustration.

"Test the spell on humans. Do not worry, I will be careful," he promised, the course of actions he would have to take crystallizing in his mind.

"But who with? There is no one else than me and you always strictly refused to do it as long as I am pregnant..." she reminded him, confused.

"There is someone. I will keep you informed," he said and was about to leave when he noticed her troubled look. It made his legs turn again and go to her to embrace and kiss her gently.

"Do NOT worry. I will be fine, I promise," he whispered into her hair and felt the tension loosen in her shoulders.

"Alright. Be mysterious all you want, I trust you to not do something stupid," she told him after a few moments and he felt his chest squeeze at her words.

Damn, he really hoped she was right.

* * *

 _So here it is - a bit of a cliffhanger but I hope it is not that serious :-)_

 _It is pretty possible that a chapter will be inserted instead of this one (as Chapter 74), telling the story of how Nagini was killed if you would be interested in reading it :-)_

 _Anyway, I hope there will be no more than 10 chapters left till this story is finished so my obsession with always bringing things to an end will have been satisfied finally._

 _By the way, feel free to add this story to any communities you might want - I have never really used that feature so I don't really know how it works but I noticed someone has added the story to a group.  
_

 _Love to you all and thank you so much for your support; I really wouldn't have found the time to continue this were it not for your kind words._


	75. Chapter 75

_Hi guys!_  
 _I am so sorry this chapter took me so long to finish - my younger daughter started trying to walk and had (and still has!) to be supervised all the time lest she injured herself, leaving me even less time for writing than usual. At least this chapter is a bit longer, I hope it will compensate the delay somehow._

 _Love to you all and thank you for your support!_

 _Dedicated to_ _ **SweetDarkAngelz** for rereading the story just to make the waiting shorter! I actually hope you haven't managed that yet, by the way!_

* * *

CHAPTER 75

 _Dear Mr. Longbottom,_

 _Shall you choose to acknowledge - and possibly pay - the life dept that had been created between us, find an excuse to leave the property grounds today at 5 p.m. and touch the old black glove you will find lying next to the oak stump - it is a Portkey that will transport you to a safe, private place. No harm will be done to you even in case you decide not to help._

 _Best regards,_

 _S.S._

 _""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""_

He was standing, disillusioned, by the oak stump and rereading the note for about a hundredth time, willing the piece of parchment to give him some clue of what was the right thing to do.

It was ten to five and he had told Harry and Ron that he would go and get some food - which was usually his task as he was the only one not wanted and hunted by nearly every witch and wizard in Europe and they had to save up the remaining Polyjuice Potion that they had.

He could still indeed go and get the food. Or he could go to wherever Snape wanted to have him.

Good Godric, how did he get into this mess? How did the man manage to confuse him so with this letter as much as with his first so many months ago?

Damn, he even missed the times when the only thing the man ever wrote to him was the large red 'T' on the bottom of his potion essays.

Now his loyalties were torn.

Sure, he had always been the odd ball out; Harry always stuck to Ron, Dean to Seamus and that constantly left him somewhat alone, both in their dormitory and Griffindor House. No one ever seemed to want to pair up with him nor spend too much time of their free time around him as they were probably afraid they would be forced to tutor him or help him to catch up with yet another topic he hadn't managed to understand in classes.

Well, nearly everyone; Hermione wasn't. She was always helping him, both in classes and outside, many times saving him from Snape's wrath - and possible explosions - with her subtle council and warnings even as she would have been punished if she had got caught.

He was never anyone's first choice. But she always chose to help him when she could.

Closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, he decided finally.

Hermione was now with Snape and if Snape needed him, so did she. It mattered little that he was now with Harry and Ron and that they chose to not cooperate. His task was to keep them alive, not to think what they were thinking at all times.

Think... _Damn, it is highly likely that Snape's cunning and Hermione's brains made up something capable of defeating Voldemort. Well, at least it was much more likely than whatever combining Harry's reckless courage and Ron's constant hunger might create._

 _He will try to help both Harry and Hermione, that is what is right,_ he decided and straightened his shoulders. _He doesn't really have to choose between them even though they do not get along currently._ _It doesn't matter who will defeat the madman as long as he is defeated in the end..._

Reaching for the old glove, he still couldn't help but shiver at what might come next.

 _Merlin, he really hoped Snape hadn't managed to invent the potion he would need Neville's brain for._

* * *

Landing awkwardly in an unfamiliar darkened and damp corridor, he looked around cautiously, searching for Snape.

A small cage with a rat in it. Another with a few birds. A rabbit. A frog. A cat.

Was this some kind of strange pet shop?

Or were they all intended for potion ingredients?!

Swallowing through his tightened throat, he turned around to look for the black glove.

 _Maybe it would work, maybe it would take him back..._

Something touched his leg and he flinched away, nearly stumbling.

"Meow?" the creature asked as he fought to not get a heart attack.

 _Fuck!_

He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

 _Damn the cat._

 _The cat..._

"Crookshanks?" he said stupidly, recognizing the animal.

"Thank you for coming here, Mister Longbottom," a man's voice came from one of the corners and he jumped again in fright. His eyes immediately focused on the place he heard the silky voice from.

Indeed, there was Snape, standing unmoving and staring at him with that cold eyes of his, the black orbs and hair along with his black robes making him nearly invisible in the darkness.

Like a vampire, he thought and suppressed the shiver that ran up his spine.

 _Neville, you coward! Collect yourself and behave like a man, just for once!_ he admonished himself and managed to straighten his shoulders a bit.

The professor moved from his hideout - or natural habitat? - in the shadows and neared to him, making Neville press his lips together in determination as he tried to not back away instinctively. Still, he was watching the man cautiously with wide eyes and couldn't help to notice that the Snape's usual smooth predatory stalk was different somehow. The man was limping which he was sure he hadn't been the last time they had met. He frowned at that.

"What happened to your leg?" he blurted out, completely forgetting to answer Snape's previous statement.

"My state of health is of no importance. I didn't call you to discuss that and I won't need it in a few weeks anyway," the man answered, sneering.

 _What did he mean by that?_

Neville frowned but didn't ask that aloud. He did not plan to stay longer than needed just to have a social talk.

"So why did you? Why am I here?" he asked, coming straight to the point.

"I need you to spell me," Snape answered, confusing Neville even further.

 _Spell Snape? What? He is a professor! He is not supposed to spell teachers, gits or not. Furthermore, he is Snape! No one ever THINKS of spelling Snape if he doesn't have a death wish..._

"Spell you? And why do you need _me_ for that?" he asked, hoping for some explanation.

Snape unfolded his arms that he had had crossed over his chest and adopted a stance that he usually used while giving a lecture, reminding him ever more of the time he had spent teaching him.

"The issue is a bit more complicated than that. The spell I am talking about is highly experimental, invented only a few hours prior. It bears certain risks, especially to it's target; excessive bleeding, madness and even death have been noted as possible side effects while tested on animals," Snape informed him, sounding nearly bored.

Neville swallowed with difficulties.

What? He couldn't cast even Wingardium Leviosa in front of this man - let alone _on_ this man - and not have a horrible accident. Trying an experimental and potentially lethal curse would surely tear the whole building down, he surmised, eyeing the stone ceiling above them with worries.

"No one would think any less of you if you decide to leave now, Mr. Longbottom. It would be rather reasonable even. I understand that the risks are great and you have no obligation to help us. On the other hand, I and Miss Granger deemed the spell necessary to defeat the Dark Lord and testing it with someone else might prove to be much less... comfortable," Snape clarified and Neville cringed at his last word for a reason he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Comfortable?" he asked, not sure he wanted to hear the explanation.

Snape was silent for a few moments, surveying Neville and making him even more nervous although he had really doubted that had been possible. By the time the man finally spoke up, Neville's hand shook with the need to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

"Frankly put, you are the only person alive that I trust enough to not disclose the content of our today's encounter to anyone, willingly or not, as Miss Granger is, due to her state, still out of question. Shall you refuse to take part in this, my only other viable option is to test the spell with someone else, against the person's will. And then kill that particular person," Snape said and sneered, making every hair on Neville's neck raise in dread because it reminded him just too much of his nightmares about this man.

 _KILL that person? Just for the possibility of telling someone of a spell? What?_

 _And what stops Snape from killing Neville too, just for good measure?! Dead people don't talk. They don't talk both about spells and strange meetings in underground hallways..._

 _Neville's heartbeat escalated and he shivered at the deadly look and logic of this man who considered killing to be just another method of solving problems._

Snape stood patiently, his arms folded over his chest, obviously waiting for an answer and emanating as much power as ever. Capable of killing him with a mere twitch of his fingers.

No one would know.

He told no one he is here. Nearly everyone considered him dead already. Killed by this man, moreover.

His body kept telling him to run, as quickly as it was able to, and he tried his best to fight the impulse.

"The glove would take you back. It's enough to touch it as it's not timed for a certain moment," the man told him finally, seeing his distress and unease.

Neville turned around, searching for the glove with his eyes just to make sure it was still there and he was not trapped in this place.

"Goodbye, Mr. Longbottom," Snape said quietly and Neville closed his eyes, fully expecting to die in the next second.

Surprisingly, even after a long moment, he was still among the living.

He turned back to face Snape.

"You would really let me go? Without Obliviation even?" he asked, trying to not betray his surprise too much as to not insult the man and make him reconsider.

The professor only curtly nodded in answer.

"Why?"

"I promised, didn't I? And Hermione likes you," Snape added the second sentence a tad later and much quieter but it was the way he said 'Hermoine' that made Neville pause. 'Hermione', not 'Miss Granger' as he was used to. The simple word made his black eyes miraculously soften.

Damn, he hadn't realized the man loved Hermione; his appearance always made the impression like he was not even able to. But Neville knew he did; he saw it himself... He didn't kill all those people for fun; he killed them for her and to win the war. At least some of them.

 _'Thank you for coming here...'_

 _'No one would think any less of you if you decide to leave now...'_

 _'Hermione likes you...'_

 _'You are the only person alive that I trust...'_

Hell, Snape - and Hermione too! - needed him and was still willing to let him go, even with the life dept unpaid. Even at great personal risks; or 'discomfort' as he would probably call it.

He WAS the man's first choice. Probably for the first time in his life, someone chose him over anyone else; not because he was easy to beat or ridicule but because he was trusted.

Breathing out, he closed his eyes again.

Merlin, he knew he was going to regret this.

"Fine. I will do it."

* * *

"Adducere _mihi_ mens suggesserit, that is the incantation. Not _mohi,_ not _mahi_ ," Snape corrected his horrible pronunciation for the umpteenth time.

"Does it matter when the spell is both wandless and voiceless?" he asked and the glint in the man's eyes told him it was definitely the wrong thing to say.

"In fact, it is the only thing that matters; correct words and focus to direct the magic to me, not to yourself or anywhere else. It doesn't need any other skill, as far as I am aware of. Furthermore, it is written down in front of you - you are just supposed to read it. Correctly," the professor answered rather calmly and pointed at the piece of paper in Neville's hand, obviously holding back a much more biting retort.

Bollocks, he would more than deserve to get one right now. He was going to kill the man, likely kill them both, and it would be not due to the spell being untested.

He was such a blockhead. He should have really content himself with being a Squib, he didn't have a clue about this kind of magic...

"I suppose it's time to test the spell," Snape said and Neville startled at that.

"W-what? I haven't managed to even _read_ the incantation correctly yet, not even once!" he pointed out, trying to make the man see his imminent death.

"Well, if teaching you for all those years taught _me_ anything, it is that you do not do well under stress and it's never getting better through time and repetition - quite the contrary," Snape said with an undeniable air of defeat.

Neville stared, shocked. Finally he found the courage to ask.

"What? You know that and you still loomed over me the way you did all those years?"

"I was trying to get you accustomed to it so you would get better, of course," Snape explained as if it was obvious.

"You did that so I would get better?" Neville repeated, unbelieving.

"Sure, what else would it be good for?"

"I actually thought that you were trying to scare me so I would botch the potion..." Neville reminiscenced aloud.

"Scare you? So you would kill the whole class with your brewing? As much as it would simplify my work, even I am not that cruel," Snape claimed. Neville kept silent, knowing that his tone would betray him even if he somehow managed to choke out the 'No, you are not' which was socially suitable. Snape saw through that, of course.

"Really, I am not," he emphasized but by the look of him he could be easily joking if that was possible.

 _Why would he joke about that? Damn him if he understand the man..._

 _Today is a strange day indeed._

"Never mind that now. If all goes well, I will see shortly for myself anyway," the professor said, putting away his outer robes and wand.

 _What did he mean by that? What will he do? What does the spell do?_

"What does the spell do?" he asked the most important of the questions.

"Let's say it will make me understand how you feel," Snape said, obviously trying to simplify his explanation.

 _Great, Snape totally thinks he is the greatest moron on Earth. He is probably not that far away from truth; Neville is still standing there, isn't he?_

"How I feel? And that would help you to defeat Voldemort, you say?" he asked again, doubtful.

 _Maybe Voldemort would really die of embarrassment if he ever discovered how awkward Neville truly was..._

"Yes. At least that is what it is intended to do if cast correctly. What it might do is a completely different chapter," Snape told him and rubbed his forearm for a reason.

Sure, the 'mad, hurt, dead' side effects that he had mentioned as if it was just a normal daily routine...

"If I get injured to the extent that I would be unable to move or take care of myself, please take me to Hermione; she is able to fix just about anything. I get it you still remember where to find her?" Snape asked and Neville answered by nodding. Of course he did and of course he knew Hermione was good at everything she had ever done. Except flying maybe.

"On the other hand, if I seem to get insane, do NOT, under any circumstances, bring me anywhere near her. It is highly likely I will try to attack you. I put as many wards between us as I possibly could but there was only so much I could do while we will be supposed to be touching. I will do all in my power to refrain from hurting you but in case I will seem to go mad, do not hesitate to disable me by any mean you deem necessary. I tend to use physical violence so be prepared to defend against that. On the other hand I also tend to be susceptible against transfiguration; be therefore advised to use that if you find yourself endangered. If the effect doesn't seem to abate within five minutes, warn Hermione that I am going to die and feel free to put me out of my misery after she writes back to you that she is settled."

Neville frowned, not understanding much why he should let Hermione know; she was obviously supposed to prepare for it somehow. But why? How?

Confusion swirled in his head together with questions and theories but Snape didn't let him think for long.

"Dawdling won't help either of us to get out of this mess alive," he said in that low growl of his and extended his hand towards him as if to shake it.

The very same hand that had pulled out nearly all of his nails. The hand that had killed so many people. The hand that had brewed enough poison to kill half the wizarding population in the world...

The tips of his fingers prickled uncomfortably, not wanting to touch the man as much as he ever didn't want to touch anything. Well, maybe Umbridge's arse would seem comparably uncomfortable.

 _Neville, you awful little poltroon!_ he admonished himself and tried to swallow to allow some relief to his painfully constricted and dry throat.

Feeling cold sweat gathering on his forehead, he won the battle over his protesting limb and touched the man.

After a few seconds of staring at the place of their physical connection, when he finally overcame the initial shock, he could feel Snape's hand was surprisingly warm and dry, his grip firm but still far from painful.

"Adducere mihi mens suggesserit, Mr. Longbottom," Snape reminded him after a few moments when it was clear that Neville hadn't cast anything.

Surprisingly, there was also no disgust or hatred in the man's face and voice. Merlin, he looked calm as always, nearly reassuring even. No admonishing, insults or criticism that he had expected.

Damn, he really was Snape's first choice for this. He considered him a partner now, a peer. He couldn't let him down.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down and focus to the best of his ability.

 _This will work out. It has to._

 _Adducere mihi mens suggesserit,_ he pronounced clearly in his head and felt tendrils of magic seep through his hand towards Snape.

Then he startled when the man let go of his hand abruptly and made a few rapid steps back. That in itself was understandable - he himself very much wanted to do the same - but there was an expression in Snape's face that he had never before seen the man wearing.

Something was wrong. This was not Snape in his right mind.

 _Damn, he has screwed this up._

As quickly as he could, he fished for his wand and pointed it at the man, ready to curse him at the tiniest sign of his strange state progressing. He could see the tip of the wand shaking.

Snape bowed a bit and lifted his hand - of course, he had no weapon, but that never stopped him before when he wanted to snap someone's spine - and Neville nearly got a heart attack, thinking he was seconds from getting killed. He forgot HE was holding a wand, his brain frozen and his body petrified.

However, Snape only made a stalling gesture, outstretching his open palm in Neville's direction, and sat on one of the cages, not meeting his eyes but obviously not about to attack.

 _Good Merlin, that was close._

 _But what was wrong with him?_

He still looked and behaved strange; as soon as he finished signalling that he - probably? - needed some time, he hid his hands in his pockets - a gesture Neville never saw the man do, especially in this nearly nervous way. He looked highly uncomfortable, nearly hiding. Hiding from NEVILLE if that was possible.

Bollocks, if he didn't know better he would think he had scared the professor somehow. But that was utterly impossible.

He had to ask then.

"Are you alright, professor?"

Snape flinched - flinched! - at being adressed. Then nodded, looking down. It looked like he was trying to breathe to calm himself.

Something was DEFINITELY off.

He made a few steps towards the man to check on him.

"D-don't go any nearer. Please," Snape said hastily, taking Neville's breath away. Not only the man stammered - Snape NEVER stammered - but he also said 'please'; furthermore sounding like he really meant it.

"What's going on?" he asked, hoping for some explanation, but obeyed and stayed where he was. There was a few seconds of silence as if Snape needed some time to collect himself.

"The spell is working, I suppose. I need to wait for it to wear off," the professor answered, still looking rather distressed. The 'if it wears off' possibility remained unsaid.

So Neville turned his attention towards his watch to track the time - the man said it was supposed to last for about five minutes and now he didn't have anything better to do than to see if that fits.

It was exactly four minutes and eight seconds when he heard the man rise from his seated position. Neville quickly looked his way to try to judge his condition.

 _Oh, thank Merlin!_

Snape looked just fine now; or fine if his usual behavior and appearance counted as 'fine'. In any case, he was back to his old self, complete with his posture and stern face. Only his eyes might have been a bit softer than before. Still, it was probably no reason to 'put him out of his misery' as he had been instruced to if he did not get back to normal after a few minutes.

"Are you ok now? Did it wear off?" he asked just to be sure.

"Yes, it did. The spell evidently works as it should and it was cast well. Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Longbottom," Snape answered, shocking Neville by his sincerety. For a while, all he could do was staring at the professor.

 _"How_ did it work? Why did you behave so... odd?" he couldn't help but question the man even as he was still trying to comprehend being praised and thanked by him.

"It simply transfers sentiments; it made me experience no more and no less than what you are feeling towards me," Snape informed him, shocking Neville even more.

Damn. So now Snape really knew for sure what a coward Neville was; how easy he was to scare and how little it took for him to loose his nerves around the professor.

The last bits of his dignity, that he had fought so hard to preserve, were gone. Forever.

He rubbed his forehead tiredly, using the gesture to hide his eyes behind his hand so he never again had to meet Snape's.

He was just so pathetic.

"I am sorry, Mr. Longbottom," Snape said quietly, making his eyes jump to his in spite of his resolution.

What? First Snape is thanking him, then saying 'please' and now he apologizes? Did he undergo some brain transplant? Or was it heart?

It was probably Hermione's doing. Still, he had no idea what was the man sorry for - shouldn't Neville apologize to him for making him feel so wretched? His confusion was obviously evident from his face because Snape elaborated after a short moment.

"I admit it was mostly my fault that our... relationship... was never very friendly. I put you under a lot of pressure without ever explaining why I was doing it. Furthermore, our circumstances were simply horendous," Snape explained, gesticulating towards Neville's hands.

Yeah, the 'I-pretended-to-torture-you-to-death-while-torturing-you-only-to-unconsciousness issue'. He hid his hands into his pockets.

"Apology accepted. Not that it would be needed though; you don't have to pretend to like me just because you now know exactly how cowardly and pitiful I am. I don't need any extra pity. I always had enough of that," Neville said even as he was still rather unsure with this strange form of Snape that seemed to have feelings.

Snape stared at him for a few seconds, making him lower his eyes in shame.

How did he suppose he could lecture this man just because he seemed understanding for a while?

"I don't consider you pitiful," he answered finally and Neville snorted doubtfully.

Snape extended his hand towards him, his expression and posture full of challenge.

"Want to see for yourself?" he asked, his tone comparable to the most proficient devil, daring humans.

His first impulse was to refuse - if just to avoid another physical contact - but then he remembered he was there to test the spell. Snape probably needed to see it work both ways and the whole speech was likely just abou that; making him curious so he would want to try the effects of the spell too. He didn't care though - there was not much to lose. Except his sanity, health and life, of course.

So he rose again and took the man's hand, praying.

Suddenly, feelings that were not his own invaded his body and mind and he let go of Snape's hand to better focus and analyze the new impressions.

They were much different from his own in their nature - sharper and swifter. There was only a little doubt that Snape was much more choleric than he was - not that he had ever doubted that particular aspect. On the other hand, he was rather shocked by the sudden composure and easy focus that came with the abrupt disappearance of his distress from Snape's vicinity; now, magically (and it indeed was!), he wasn't perturbed by the man at all.

In fact, he wasn't perturbed by many things now; the animals in cages and the darkness were just that, not some kind of bogeyman, the empty hallway was just an empty hallway, not a prison. Everything seemed rather serene but also strange somehow - as if he hadn't felt anything at all for a very long time and only recently started registering emotions again.

Did Snape botch the spell and really made him crazy? But he wouldn't do that, he was sure about it. The man was reliable and trustworthy - he wouldn't betray his secrets even when facing death. He deserved his respect as he had proved.

He shook his head in attempt to clear it. No luck.

"Are you alright?" Snape asked, watching him closely and probably unintentionally using the were same question that Neville had a few moments ago while their roles had been reversed.

He nodded, smiling even to reassure the professor. He didn't want him to worry; there was strong sense of protectiveness and responsibility about his well-being that he had to listen to.

"Sure. It's working," he reported respectfully.

And it was.

It was actually quite cool feeling like this.

Pity that he couldn't feel like this more often around this man.

Pity...

There was no pity at all. Snape wasn't lying.

Of course he wasn't. He would know if he lied.

"No dizziness? Anxiety?" the professor asked even though it seemed just formal - he was still watching him and surely noticed.

"No, I am fine. The spell is actually quite cool," Neville said.

"That is certainly good to hear," Snape conceded and Neville noticed the man nearly smiled too. It was fine, he deserved to be happy after everything he had been through.

"It still needs one test though - it is required to be able to transmit feelings you have for someone else. We are going back to Spinner's End to meet Hermione for that, if you agree," Snape added a moment later.

"Sure. It's fine. Let's go," Neville said, nodding. He felt he owed this man quite a lot and was more than ready to pay at least a part of it back.

"Not now. We will wait till the spell wears off and only then I will consider your answer valid. You are not in your right mind at the moment," the professor stalled him.

How could he ever think the man evil? Damn, he would do well in Huflepuff with this level of consideration and care...

He made a few steps closer to Snape to give him a hug at least and say thank you.

After his third step and opening his arms he realized what a bad idea it was.

 _Damn, they were not friends. They were barely on civil terms, let alone touching terms._

 _Fuck, he was about to HUG Snape! He was surely totally mental!_

Letting his arms fall down quickly, he made a few rapid steps back.

"Welcome back, Mr. Longbottom," Snape said and he could swear he was laughing at him.

"I report the madness side effect," Neville admitted, no joking at all.

Snape laughed openly then, making Neville jump in fright. Maybe the professor went crazy too then...

"I told you, didn't I? No pity as you could see."

Well, that was true. And luckily Snape also kept everything hidden and had near to no inclination to express his feelings physically - or at all - as Neville would do if he felt the same way towards someone. It was for the best though; he would die of shock and uneasiness were Snape to ever hug him.

Merlin, the spell had to be really hard for the professor to master. He was about as open as Malfoys' vault at Gringotts.

"So what about your decision to see Miss Granger today?" Snape continued when Neville failed to comment on his earlier statement.

He met the man's eyes and nodded.

"I am fine with that," he said, confirming his words again.

He was the man's first choice after all. Now he knew why even though it was hard to believe.

* * *

Hermione stood in the living room - was it really the same house he was in a few months ago? It looked totally different! - holding a small piece of paper with the message that they are on the way to meet her and eyeing him with certain worries even as she tried to smile at him.

She agreed to see him, responding positively to Snape's inquire, but somehow she still looked very unsure.

 _And very pregnant_ , Neville judged, eyeing her still lithe form with the dominant belly that seemed just too big for her. She was sure to be giving birth soon.

Merlin, he couldn't imagine being in that situation himself. OF COURSE he would never be in that situation, being a man, but still it was bound to be hard for her.

"Hi, Neville," she nearly whispered and fortunately broke his line of thoughts. Damn, he was such an oaf.

"Hi, Hermione," he answered, thinking hard of what to say next.

Well, he would say what he should have said the last time he had seen her.

"I am sorry for what Ron and Harry said. I don't think what they do about you and I would never-" he couldn't find the right words to continue, especially as he noticed her eyes water a bit and her chin starting to tremble.

"I am just sorry, for everything. Forgive me? Please?" he asked, hoping she would just understand and accept his apology.

When she came closer a few seconds later and hugged him, he let out the breath that he had been holding and relaxed even while trying to not press too much against her to not endanger her baby anyhow. He had no idea what could and what could not be done in this stage of pregnancy. In any stage, in fact.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair, not minding at all that he could hardly see over it.

A few moments and polite questions later, he finally noticed Snape who stood patiently a few steps to his right and watched his every move even though he had not tried to interfere in anything so far.

Although he now knew the professor rarely acted on his feelings, the look of him, impenetrable as always but still rather sinister, made him pause.

Damn, he was totally not liking him touching her, his friendly disposition towards Neville might mean next to nothing. One wrong move and he might end up dead, not even twitching.

He cleared his throat. It was high time they got to the matter at hand.

"The professor asked me to test the spell with him, it went well. So now he has brought me here to try it with you because it seemed to be safe," he explained his presence even though he was probably repeating what she had already known from Snape's letter.

"Oh, that's fantastic, Neville! Thank you so much for helping us! It was a great idea, Severus!" Hermione exclaimed, seeming happy.

 _'Severus'?! Really? So she knows about his feelings already? Are they a couple now?_ , Neville contemplated hastily as he became a victim of another hug. He shot the professor a nervous look but, fortunately, the man seemed to be composed. The next moment she disentangled from him and went to hug the man.

Hug Snape! The thing that he had nearly done a few moments ago, thinking it the craziest act that had ever occurred to anyone!

Then he noticed she kissed him too and felt his knees nearly bulge under him. Still, them both looking so happy and relaxed about their contact was what shocked him the most.

 _So they WERE a couple. A couple in love, obviously._

 _Or a man in love who could brew any potion in the world? What if he doped her with some Amortentia?_ Doubts sneaked into his mind before he could stop them. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He would consider this theory later, now it was time to focus.

So before he could change his mind, he extended his hand towards Snape.

"Shall we try it then?" he offered and saw the man nod and prepare the room, casting all the necessary wards to protect them and especially Hermione.

"Everything is settled. To minimize the risks to Hermione, I will cast the spell, projecting the emotion to you. Are you alright with that?" Snape asked and took Hermione's hand as well as Neville's.

"Sure," Neville answered, bracing for the onslaught of foreign emotions that was about to come.

And it did come, full force that really made him stagger.

It took a few long moments for him to register there were voices, asking and urging.

"Neville? Are you alright?"

"Mr. Longbottom? Is something the matter? Just raise your hand if you are hearing us in case you can't talk."

He took a few deep breaths and tried to raise his hand. Finally, he managed to make it a few inches so it would be considered valid probably.

"How do you feel?" That was Hermione asking, he thought.

That was a good question indeed. He tried to make himself focus.

Tenderness, loyalty, passion, protectiveness, longing, devotion, all entwined together and forming what could only ever be called love. The strongest love Neville could imagine being possible, almost torturously painful in its intensity. Merlin, not even his feelings to Luna could compare to this tidal wave of emotions. Not yet, at least. She certainly deserved to be loved like this though. Every person on Earth would like to be loved like this. Except Voldemort maybe.

The stark realization of that made him suddenly understand what exactly was the spell for. He felt himself beginning to grin.

 _Damn, they just might win this war after all._

* * *

 _The next chapter will be told by Severus, starting approximately where the story ended in this chapter :-)_

 _Review? Please?_


	76. Chapter 76

_I am rather afraid you won't like this chapter, guys, so it's dedicated to no one. Still, I hope you will begin to like it a few chapters later again..._

* * *

CHAPTER 76

Neville Longbottom was, with only a little doubt, the bravest man Severus had ever met.

No, it was not about acting strong or saying 'Voldemort' or never hesitating while taking risks; no, it was being scared of something - or _someone_ \- to this extent and still be able to function somewhat normally around that person or, moreover, meeting that person, alone and secretly with no prior knowledge of what exactly was to happen. And all this to pay for an alleged life dept.

So instead of ridiculing the young man for the horror he felt at the mere sight of him, he felt the respect he already had for Longbottom grow to a wholly new level.

It shouldn't have come as such a surprise really; he was aware that he was the boy's Boggart - and that had been before the Carrow incident even - but somehow the knowledge always managed to drown in the exasperation he felt at being humiliated by Lupin in front of the whole Griffindor class when the moron had made his image wear that stupid hat.

He knew fear, of course; he had been scared like shit whenever Hermione was in danger or when he was worried about their baby. But to be honest, he had never quite experienced fear of this kind; the deep and acute knowledge of being so utterly intimidated and overpowered, mentally, magically as well as physically, that any idea of defense became meaningless, leaving only pure despair and helpless panic behind. Not even his father ever inspired those particular sentiments in him although he was frequently abused as a child; on some level he always knew he could - and one day would - defeat the brute, the hatred and vindictive streak always winning over the fear even when he sobbed beaten and alone, locked in the dark cellar, nursing his injuries.

He also starkly remembered the dread and thrill that filled him whenever the Marauders managed to catch him off guard and trap or ambush him but still that was not even close to this; somehow, even outnumbered and humiliated, he knew that he would be the one laughing in the end when he would take his vengeance - the next day or the next year, it mattered little. He could wait and on some level he even enjoyed the heat of the battle - it prepared him for his upcoming Death Eater years at least. There was never any need to surrender to the panic the way that Longbottom obviously had.

And it was totally his fault; it was him who made the boy experience all this every time they met. He caused that without ever touching a hair on the boy's head. Well, except the nails incident.

Maybe he should strive to look a bit less - threatening? Imposing? Indomitable? - while in Longbottom's presence.

 _But how?_

 _Damn, he will simply try. Period._

Still, there was at least one positive outcome today; the spell obviously really made people experience unknown - or for the targeted person impossible - feelings or, in this case, feelings much stronger than the target was normally capable of. It seemed to be just perfect for their purpose. Except from needing to endanger a beloved person, of course. That sucked. Royally.

The boy was currently still composing himself; it took him over two minutes to begin registering them and even now he was unable to say anything although he had signalled to be alright otherwise. He couldn't really blame him; when HE realized he loved the girl, he had been speechless too and that were his own feelings that evolved somewhat gradually. To Longbottom it had to feel like being whacked by a hammer to the gut.

His forearm stung and made him take his eyes off the boy. Out of a habit, Severus rubbed the black curse stain but somehow the pain didn't go away; it intensified instead, tugging at him.

 _Fucking Mark!_

 _Shit, of all possible moments, the freak chose this one to summon him. Just bloody brilliant._

"I am sorry but I will have to go. I will try to return promptly," he excused himself and kissed Hermione lightly on her forehead when he saw her looking him over, worries written into her beautiful face.

"Is it justified to assume you will stay over for a bit?" he asked the boy and received a nod in answer. It was fine with him, Hermione could surely use someone else's company too even when he didn't particularly like leaving her.

"See you soon then," he said and summoned his robe and mask, already on his way out of the house to apparate.

* * *

"It's time. Go home and bring her," the voice echoed through his mind over and over again, making his heart beat faster and faster and panic seep through his entire body.

 _'Bring her! Bring her! Bring her!'_

 _He won't, of course._

 _So the whole show will end today. He is not going to bring her, therefore he will be considered a traitor. Killed, eventually but inevitably._

 _That was counted with, naturally. No big deal here. The much worse part was that the freak will search for Hermione and the child too. Somehow, even in his unhinged state, he remembered and counted, discovering that Hermione was due around this time, knew that the child is carried to term.  
_

 _Sodding Merlin's shit!_

His journey from the Fortress went by like a crazy dream and now he was standing in front of their house, not even knowing how he had got there. Forgetting to knock, he opened the door, finding Hermione seated peacefully on the sofa, the boy on the opposing armchair, obviously chatting amicably. He was going to put this to hell, destroying this heaven, destroying their home. It was time to run and hide.

She stood up as soon as she noticed him, evidently about to welcome him back. His eyes stung when he saw her so happy to see him, not knowing what was about to happen.

Still, there was no time to spare and no reason to delay what had to be said.

"You need to leave. Go and pack any personal items you want to take, I will collect the supplies," he told her, freezing the smile on her beautiful face.

"What? Why?"

"I was ordered to bring you to him. He knows where you are, he will try to break into the house if you are still here when he discovers I won't return," he explained while summoning a bag to enchant it and start packing.

She didn't say anything for a while, probably shocked.

But then he felt her hand took his wrist, stalling his movement and making him look up to her again. There was only firm deliberation in her face.

"You will return. With me," she told him decidedly.

"There is no way I will let you anywhere near him and you know it. Furthermore, you are still pregnant. He will take the baby and probably hurt or kill you. Thus, it's out of question. Maintaining my cover is totally irrelevant in comparison," he told her, fighting for control over his own voice to not betray his rising panic which would only worsen their already dire situation.

 _Fuck! How could his life go to shits so fast?!_

 _ _'Bring her! Bring her! Bring her!'__

 _Why? Why did this happen? Why when he was finally happy? When he had the perfect woman he loved?_

"Severus," she said to make him focus on her and stroked his face with her hand. Damn, she knew he was scared. She knew him like no one else. She knew he was just playing to be calm and tried to soothe him.

It was nearly his undoing. Still, it made him look at her and try to really perceive what she was about to say if only to avoid crumpling down in tears like a three years old.

"You have to bring me there. It's the opportunity we have been waiting for. You will bring me, find an excuse to touch him while you will lead me to him. We can destroy him today, together," she said, her eyes resolute and bright.

 _She must be joking._

 _Merlin, let her be joking!_

By the look of her he knew she wasn't.

"A zillion things can go awry. We could get separated, someone can attack you, anything! We need him alone in a controlled environment for the spell and the Fortress is not that! It is plagued by Death Eaters, all of them protecting him!"

"There won't be a better chance than that. All we really need is each other, the staff you found and one of us casting the spell. The Death Eaters should be in so much pain afterwards that they should pose no threat once we expel him from his body," she objected calmly, reminding him of the artifact, formerly the property of Rowena Ravenclaw, that he had managed to gain and which they planned to turn into a Horcrux. They had rehearsed the procedure and it seemed likely the Dark Lord would attach himself to it if they managed to lock the escaping soul along with the ancient object into a specific impenetrable dome.

 _IF they managed, IF they won't get separated, IF he would succeed in getting near enough to the monster. Way too many ifs._

 _Still, she was right. They won't get a better chance than that. Chance to surprise the freak..._

His whole being, his every cell screamed at him to not obey, longed to hide her, protect her, put her somewhere she couldn't be ever found by anyone else, somewhere she couldn't be hurt.

 _'Bring her! Bring her! Bring her!'_

By the look in her eyes he knew he would.

* * *

The staff in one hand and Hermione's small one in his other, he walked towards the Fortress, nervous as he never was in his life. He knew that when he would have to drop her hand as they would get too close, the last seeming protection he had her under would disappear.

She looked so vulnerable and strong at the same time, so unearthly beautiful that he could not take his eyes off her. He still had half a mind to just grab her and hide her so she could never be found and bothered by anybody.

If only he could...

"Take the potion, just in case," he told her instead of trying to convince her to reconsider and handed her the Pain Killer that would protect her and the baby in case he died. It would not do for her to be disabled in this crucial moment.

She eyed the bottle with doubts but didn't voice them; after a little while, she just took it and downed the content in three big gulps.

"We will make it, all three of us. Do not doubt that for a second," she admonished him and he smiled, giving her one last hug before they got close enough to be spotted from the Fortress.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

A few seconds later, there was her answer.

"I love you too," he heard her say quietly and had to squeeze his eyes forcibly shut lest he embarrassed himself by some undignified display of emotion. She had never said that before like that.

If only he could just grab her and take her away, as far as possible...

"Let's go, Severus," she instructed him and he obeyed, as always. He was really helpless against her.

* * *

They found him in the Ceremony Hall, the worst possible place; huge and with about a dozen of other servants. Still, it might work.

 _Please, God, let it work._

"What a pleasant surprise, Severus," the freak welcomed them, with a sneer which should probably be a smile.

He bowed and took Hermione's hand in a show to lead her to him as she suggested.

"Thank you, my Lord. Here are my gifts to you; the girl and this ancient relic for you to-"

He wasn't permitted to finish the sentence as a curse hit him, hard enough to make him fall and wind him. He had to let go of both her hand and the staff and scratched his palms and knees as he was pushed further across the floor by the impact. Another wave of his wand and Hermione was Petrified in place, her eyes wide with fear.

 _SHIT!_

 _What the fuck?!_

He struggled to breathe and listen.

"Oh my, my... And here I nearly hoped you wouldn't return to us, Severus; I really hate having to do this. You were always the perfect follower, the ideal Death Eater - obedient, attentive, powerful... Yet you grew just too powerful as the time went by, my friend. You might not know about it but I discovered you have gained the loyalty of a very important wand that needs to be transferred to me, unfortunately. So far, it would have been too much of a waste to kill you for it without having a proper replacement for you but seeing you have provided it yourself," He gestured towards Hermione's belly. "The matter is settled. The best servant till the very end, indeed. I will make your... departure... as swift as I can as a reward for your dedicated service." The monster of a man sneered, looking like he really meant that as a reward.

 _Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!_

He had to find and excuse to go nearer to spell the monster. He had to!

"My Lord, if I may..." he begun, raising from the floor slowly.

"Tut-tut, my boy," he was reprimanded and another spell hit him, pushing him even further away.

 _He will not be listened to then._

Panic powering his magic, the tendrils of it roared in his blood, ready to fight for his life and those of his family. He felt his fingers tingling and raised his hand - not his wand, that would be too obvious - in the direction of the Dark Lord, ready to avenge the decades he had spent serving him, ready to protect Hermione.

 _Hermione... She could not be hurt._

The distracting thought cost him the second that could have saved him - or would if the world was a tad more fair.

He heard it sooner than he felt it. A flick of magic passing through him, then the smell and taste of blood in his mouth.

His throat has been slit, cleanly and efficiently. In some dazzled state, he pressed his hands to his neck, touching the wound and then staring at his bloodied palms and fingers in slight shock as he felt the blood pouring into his lungs

"Goodbye, Severus," said the Monster, sounding nearly sad.

Her beautiful, scared and wide open eyes were the last thing he saw.

 _Hermione..._

* * *

 _A cliffhanger, out of the blue catastrophe, cruelty and violence - what a romantic I am? But to stay true to the books, I just supposed that Voldemort's decision to kill Severus because of the wand will have to come eventually - it was only my guess that he would have waited to have his baby first as a 'replacement' if there was that option._  
 _I really am sorry._

 _Stay with me, will you?_

 _The next chapter is planned to be Voldemort's._


	77. Chapter 77

_Hi there!_

 _Most of you urged me in your comments to post the next chapter as soon as possible so I really did my best to oblige - again, I am so sorry for all the cliffhangers!_

 _Dedicated (once more!) to **KagomeLove2,** my most faithful supporter and reviewer - I tried to count how many reviews and PMs she has written to me, but soon gave up. I was never good at high math; sorry, my friend!_

 _One of the shortest but also most important chapters so far is ahead. Hope you will like it, guys!_

* * *

CHAPTER 77

He was waiting in the Ceremony Chamber, basking in the atmosphere of anticipation and dread. Soon, he would get the first proper result of his efforts. Soon, he would get to reap what he had sown.

Or inseminated?

The corner of his elegant mouth went up a bit. He could play with words rather well; ever since making up his own proper name, creating the genius pun - I AM LORD VOLDEMORT! - he was rather sure there was no one who could beat him at that. At anything, in fact.

Not even Severus.

Poor Severus, always so dutiful... Still, in the same way that his principle was to rule and make others obey, Severus' aim was to follow and serve.

 _He was Severus, right? Or SERVEus?_

The other corner of his mouth went up at another proof of his own creativity.

Anyway, Severus had to die and he was sure the man would see it as his duty in serving the mightiest Dark Lord that had ever lived - and would live till the end of time. He would have to remember to include his story and the benefits of it into one of his book shall he even be bored enough to decide to start writing anything else than orders.

 _Oh, how he would like to write the Order off..._

He would maybe feel proud at this pun in his mind if the idea of the Order still existing didn't make him so understandibly furious.

The anger manifested in his magic, as usual, and his wand twitched to target the closest of his minions.

There was a disgusting wail but it seemed the flunkey had survived.

 _Boring..._

"Go and fetch my Inner Circle. They are about to witness an important event," he instructed and watched the man limp to go and summon his men who were currently enjoying the usual routine of having the bitches bent for them after every one of their common sessions.

It was time to show them the results he expected them to achieve. And also to prove that even the mightiest of them could not even begin to compare to the magnitude that was him. There were 12 of them now - 12 closest followers like Jesus had. He would keep that number probably; not that he was not better than the overestimated saint - he had _died,_ hadn't he? - but it was nearly as nice as 7 was.

It was time to echange Severus for the new one though, time to get both the wand to work properly and the new servant that he would train exactly how he wanted. It would take a few years to achieve that but again, he had all the time he ever wanted - he was eternal, after all.

* * *

It was really touching that Severus had brought a goodbye gift - the very same staff he had been looking for to create a new Horcrux even. It didn't change the neccessary outcome of this meeting, of course, but it made him really feel - FEEL! - something like saddness when he had to part with him forever. That in itself was unforgiveable, of course. Not that he would forgive anything in any case.

Yet, he could make Severus immortal as well in a way; he could use his death to split himself and anchor to the staff when it was so nicely delivered by him. It would be a great honor for the man.

Or maybe he would first get the child from the bitch, he was rather curious about it...

Overstepping the puddle of blood that Severus was currently so rudely leaking on the floor, he reached the small bitch who was now watching her Master die in horror, tied safely to the wall.

Severus told him she was a good servant, in the same way the man was. Their child would be a born follower; tame, mighty and dedicated.

If it was a girl and got the looks of her mother, then he would REALLY know what to do with her. He still had no proper replacemet for Bella which was a huge shame.

 _He really could not wait to see the baby._

Her eyes glued to her Master, the girl probably didn't even notice him approach. Still, she was sure to pay attention to him soon enough.

Placing one hand on her belly, he felt for the baby again. It grew even stronger over the few months.

He hated waiting.

 _He is the most powerful wizard alive. He doesn't have to wait for anything._

 _He will get the child now._

Conjuring a knife, he tried to estimate where the baby was and the place he should cut to pull it out and then positioned the tip of the blade to the skin on her lower abdomen. He was no surgeon but if Muggles could do that, he certainly could too.

Her rapid puffs of breath were the last thing he heard before he was smashed by a wave of the most brutal kind of magic in existence.

 _That fucking cunt!_

His body and mind were torn by unbearable agony, his every cell was tortured by the heat and his lungs got squeezed to unendurable levels, making him unable to breathe, to think, to function.

Love.

Love for the unborn child, strong, pure, selfless, unconditional and unyielding as only mother's love can be, seeping through his skin, into his flesh and his bones, melting his nerves and uprooting his very magic that fought desperately but still futilely against it.

LOVE!

The very same kind he himself probably had had at some point from his own mother - his mother who had died because of giving birth to him. Love that Lily Evans had for her child, defeating him even after her own death. Love this cunt had for Severus' bastard. Fucking little bitches, all three of them!

LOVE!

He couldn't stand it a second longer - not even him who had survived his own death once could withstand torment of that kind. He felt himself detaching from this miserable body, not able to hold there even if he wanted to.

He could shed the body like a snake could shed its skin. He would find a better, stronger one. He would be reborn, as always. Everything was replaceable.

Pulling out of the mass of pain and flesh, his attention was immediatelly drawn to the staff, lying there on the floor only a few yards away. The perfect vessel for him to rest till someone would come and touch it so he could posses that person and make him or her help him return to a human body.

There were his followers scattered around the room, screaming and moaning, some unconscious. He couldn't care less about them, only his destination mattered as he floated towards it. It was magical enough, it would sustain him and aleviate the pain. He would not have to fight over it with another soul already present in it as he would have in case he decided to posses someone. He had no strength for that at this moment.

Connecting with the ancient wood, he felt instant relief as it grounded him finally, anchoring him to this world even when he was torn and pulled elsewhere.

He would rest there for a bit. He had time enough.

He was eternal, after all.

* * *

 _So this was Voldemort's rather bad sense of humour - and the end thereof. I hope you didn't mind my version of it and it doesn't seem too far-fetched. Any comments are most welcome, of course :-)_

 _I would also appreciate your advice as to what genre I should label this fiction - I can select two but can't really decide between "horror", "angst", "romance" and "drama". What would you choose?_

 _Anyway, there are still a few chapters left and I will try to finish them as soon as I can._

 _As to **what happens next** \- I decided to publish a one-shot out of this universe for every thousandth review (1000th, 2000th...) which would be dedicated to that particular person - he or she will also get to influence what it would be about._

 _Also when/if there would be ever as many as 1000 people favoriting this story, I have another one already in mind that I will start publishing._

 _Thank you a lot for all your support and kind words! You are the very best readers I could ever wish for!_


	78. Chapter 78

_Hi, guys!_

 _I nearly thought I won't manage this before the year's end but it looks like I did!_

 _I hope you all had the greatest Christmas ever :-*_

 _Dedicated to **sandracddy** for the first Spanish review I have ever received! It's so cool to see that you guys are not all English natives as well and still take the time and efforts to read this story! Thank you all so much!_

* * *

CHAPTER 78

"Hell," Neville said breathily a few seconds after Severus' back had disappeared through the door.

"How do you feel, Neville? Are you alright?" Hermione asked him again, placing her hand on his shoulder and worried.

"I know I told you this before, but the man _really_ loves you, Hermione," Neville said instead of answering. It explained everything though, she supposed.

"I am aware of that now. Sorry for not believing you the last time," she admitted, shy and feeling her cheeks getting hot both at Neville's confirmation and her own admission.

"Tea?" she asked to mask her discomfort and change the topic.

Fortunately, he was only happy to agree.

* * *

"... and then there grows so much Gillyweed that you could spend _ages_ underwater! Just last week I was diving and spotted this plant, it looks a bit like dittany but not quite and I have never seen it before anywhere! Do you think it could be a new subspecies of it?" Neville asked, his eyes bright as he was fully immersed in his description and Hermione had to smile at that.

"It is quite possible. Maybe you could look in the books here? Severus had amassed quite a library for himself in here. Or bring it the next time you come to visit and I will look it up for you," she offered.

"You really would? So can-"

The door opened at that moment, revealing Severus, still in his Death Eater robes and she stood up as fast as her heavy belly would permit, startled but still pleased that he returned to her again.

But then he told her to start packing and she convinced him to agree to the likely worst idea that she had ever had.

* * *

"Neville?" she called her friend who stood there in their living room, uneasy and nervous as he watched them when they had packed what they needed and agreed on a plan of what to do once they would be at the Fortress.

She saw the boy flinch at being addressed unexpectedly - it was a sort of habit for him - and smiled a bit to calm him down.

"Neville, would you stay there till we return, please? It is possible - quite certain even - we would need a messenger to let Harry and Ron know of the outcome, both if we fail or succeed. Are you willing to help us with that?" she inquired, hoping she had not asked too much. They didn't really have anyone but him to count on.

"Sure, no problem. I guess I won't be missed for some time yet," the boy answered, shy and quiet as usual as he lowered his gaze to his boots.

Hermione could see that he was unsure of what to say to them or if he should talk at all and for a moment she felt like she was back in class with him, watching as he struggled to express himself. She felt a wave of sympathy, gratitude and friendly affection towards the young man, so brave at times and so much like a small boy who acted as if he didn't belong anywhere at others, and couldn't help herself to smile again and go to hug him although it was granted to put him into even more unease.

"You have always been a great friend, Neville. Thank you," she told him quietly and listened with content nostalgia as he stumbled over his words again, his cheeks pink and eyes averted.

* * *

She was staring at Severus, scared to death and still unable to comprehend how her life changed from so very idyllic to this nightmarish mayhem.

Severus was bleeding, heavily. Voldemort cut his throat. Just cut his throat like this, with no reason other than some stupid wand allegiance. And it was her fault; she made him arrive here, she talked him into this course of action. If not for her, he would live now. They would spend the rest of their lives happily, together and-

A cold and rough hand touched her belly, both startling her out of her shock and adding to her panic. Voldemort was after their baby. That was why she was supposed to be brought; it was not about her but about the baby...

Severus' and her little child, Little Man as she liked to call him. All that was left from the man in this world. Half her, half him...

And Voldemort was about to steal it, hurt it, hurt her in the process, she realized when she saw him conjure a knife.

He was about to cut the child and her!

She could do nothing. Nothing when Severus was so far from her, dying. She was alone here, petrified...

Only she was not alone. Not yet, she realized with a stark clarity. She had the baby. She loved the baby and she touched it all the time, as much as anyone can possibly touch another person!

Not wasting single more second, she focused all her will and magic to protect the child that was everything for her.

 _Adducere mihi mens suggesserit_ , she pronounced in her head, directing the magic towards the man's hand on her belly and instantly she could see him stagger as he was hit by the spell.

 _God, let it be enough! Let it chase him out! Let it chase him out of his body! she prayed, watching in horror as Voldemort fell to the floor, inartuculate and terrifying sounds of pain leaving his wide open mouth._

In horrified fascination, she stopped breathing for hours - or at least it seemed that long in her mind before she saw tendrils of dark smoke detach from the convulsing and crying body, the sound nearly deafening as the ghost floated only a few feet away from her.

Unconsciously, she placed her hands across her belly, protecting the child as she remembered the loose soul could create a Horcrux from babies too - it had happened to Harry, hadn't it? - and it took a few seconds for her to realize that she had been able to move.

The binding spell had been broken then as its caster - or his physical part - had all but died.

Tearing her eyes away from the black tormented spirit that fortunately seemed uninterested in her, she ran to Severus.

Still panicked and not truly seeing anything else than the newly forming Horcrux and the dying father of her child, she stumbled over a limb body, nearly falling.

Damn! There were Death Eaters scattered all around the chamber, unconscious but still dangerous as they could wake up at any moment!

She would have to disable them as soon as possible.

But first, there was Severus.

 _Severus!_

Hurrying to the man, she searched his pockets for his wand with one hand while she tried to slow down the bleeding from his neck by pressing at it with her other.

"Fuck!" she swore aloud - uncharacteristically - when she cut herself by something sharp in his pocket. Shards from an empty bottle.

 _Damn, she didn't need this on top of everything when-_

 _Bollocks! She is so stupid! Severus alwas kept his wand in his holster!_

 _How did she let her panic eat her brain again!?_

Finding the wand finally, she felt the Mark on her shoulder stinging.

 _No! NO! NOOO!_

It wasn't the same pain that rendered the surounding dozen or so Death Eaters unconscious - probably due to the potion she had digested - but still she knew it was here and that it was burning even though the sensation felt rather dimmed. It meant Severus died.

 _Died! He cannot die! He and their baby were all she had! Her family! She loved them with her whole heart!  
_

"Severus! Severus, you can't!" she told him, her voice shaking and unable nor caring to form the order properly.

Her hands still at his neck, she felt a pulse of magic seeping through one of her hands towards him and immediately a wave of dizzines and nausea washed over her. Her belly hardened, all her insides feeling tighter and painful. Still, for some reason the slight pain in her mark abated to nothing.

Having no clue as to what happened, the first outward change she noticed was that Severus' bleeding had worsened, the blood pouring out of his neck as much as it was when his neck was just sliced. There was no time to waste so she hastened to close the wound, chanting the words while she made the skin seal with her wand, disregarding her own lack of strength and faintness.

It took several long minutes, but finally, the gaping wound on Severus' throat was gone, the tissue sealed and unmarred, and she dared to cast the diagnostic charm.

A massive weight was lifted from her shoulders as she saw he was alive and relatively fine - oddly enough, even the huge blood loss seemed to be not affecting him that severely. Not questioning her luck, she craddle his head in her lap, suppressing her urge to start crying in relief.

 _She had done it, she managed it in time once again. They would be fine again! The spell worked! She had vanquished Voldemort!_

A contraction went through her belly again, even stronger than the previous one.

 _Maybe not all of them are fine then,_ she thought as she tried to breathe through it, her joy somewhat diminished.

Damn, of all the possible moments and places! She really hoped the baby didn't insist on being born here after all!

She heard a moan from nearby - not her own this time - and suddenly remembered her plan to disable the Death Eaters.

Severus was stable, so she placed him gently back on the floor, put some cushioning and warming charms underneath him and got to work as quickly as she could while still very weak and with horrible spasms bothering her every few minutes.

Finally, all Death Eaters in the room were immobilized and she went to cast that dome spell on the Horcrux so that the soul couldn't escape. Then she sealed the door closed so that she could not be easily surprised by some other Death Eater arriving.

Drained, but finally feeling somewhat safe, she had to sit for a moment to rest. It made her stop to think as well.

She knew she should be happy at defeating the most evil wizard of the century but for some reason it wasn't coming. Everything felt empty and unreal instead. She was probably in some kind of shock.

 _Merlin! They have done it! They defeated Voldemort! They won! Severus is going to be fine!_ she tried to remind herself to gain some strength back while looking at Severus, still resting on the floor. It wasn't working that well.

Somehow, she still didn't feel like a winner, alone - or the only one conscious - in this building full of horrors, after narrowly escaping being butchered by the maniac and having Severus killed in front of her.

 _It will get better_ , she told herself again but still felt rather apprehensive and uneasy.

Her belly hardened once again, all her muscles clenching and making her moan aloud in pain. She was not supposed to feel pain - she had taken the potion.

Except...

She was about to give birth. These were no idle contractions - they were arriving way too frequently and getting stronger.

A sheet of sweat reappeared on her forehead as she panicked again, unsure as to what to do next.

 _What is she to do now? Go to the Daily Prophet to announce herself as the Chosen One who defeated Voldemort? Or to the Ministry, standing in the middle of the Atrium?_

 _Damn, she would be hexed and arrested before she took one breath as both institutions were controlled by Death Eaters._

 _Go to Hogwarts to say the same?_

Same problem there - there was still Umbridge and Carrow whereas Severus was currently out.

Her worries for the man renewed, she made herself rise from her seat to go to the man to check on him even though it was highly uncomfortable to bend over to him.

 _Oh Merlin, she is so glad he made it!_ she thought while she was stroking the man's cheek just to make sure it was indeed warm and living as her diagnostic charm had suggested.

Another contraction made her brace herself with both hands against the floor so she would not fall over. Then she focused on surviving the increasingly excruciating spasm, trying to breathe though it.

 _God!_

 _What was she to do?!_

 _Arrest the Death Eaters? And take them where? By herself, moreover?_

 _What about the Horcrux? Is she supposed to hide it or take along?_ She was in no shape to destroy it and they didn't take the sword with them as it would be bound to be noticed. There was no way to summon it from this far away...

Damn, she needed help and fast.

Severus was still unconscious and he would probably stay so for some time yet. He had nearly died a few moments ago, for Merlin's sake! It was a miracle he had made it at all.

 _She will have to research what had actually happened that he got back to life_ , she decided even as she caught her mind wandering and forced it to focus on the topic at hand again.

Neville. Neville stayed at Spinner's End. She would just go there and tell him; he would help. He would fetch Harry, that was what was needed. Harry would kill Voldemort's body and get rid of the soul piece, he knew how well enough. Then the boys could fetch the Order to take care of the Death Eaters.

 _Yes, that is the safest way._

She tried to stand up only to be forced to sit down by another overwhelming contraction.

 _Bollocks! She knew it will hurt but this?! How was she supposed to get home by herself in this condition?_

Taking deep breaths, she tried again, successfully this time.

Her eyes lingered on Severus, new worries stealing into her thoughts.

She was not by herself. She had to take Severus too - she couldn't leave him there and risk him being arrested with the rest of the Death Eaters...

 _Holy Merlin, how is she supposed to manage THAT?_

Desperate, weak and on the brick of her strength, she gritted her teeth forcibly together to brace against another contraction that she felt coming, she invested the rest of her will and power to levitate the man and find her was out.

The Fortress was eerily silent, nothing hinting at the drama that had happened there only a few moments ago, her labored puffs of breath and weary footsteps the only sounds that she could hear. It was rather creepy and didn't help her condition in the slightest as she glanced over her shoulder nervously every few seconds.

Finally, she could see the boundary where the Anti-Apparition wards ended and fought with her weakened knees to carry her here.

Casting one last look at he horrific Fortress and hoping it is the last time she would ever see it, she collected the cloak she had hidden there for herself and draped it over her shoulders. Then she took Severus' hand - so warm and comforting in hers - and focused on her destination.

Praying for the upcoming contraction to wait a bit so that she would not Splinch them, she felt being sucked in the telltale tight tube.

They landed hard and she immediately went down to her knees even she she tried to soften Severus' impact as much as she could.

A contraction seized her then and she felt irresistible urge to push.

She knew what that meant.

 _Fuck! It was too soon, she would hurt herself is she succumbed to it!_

Trying to fight both the compulsion and the pain, she didn't notice a pair of hands wrapping around her.

The first things she really noticed were their Living room and Neville's worried eyes watching her from very close up.

"Are you alright, Hermione?"

She tried to smile but was too weak to manage even that small movement.

She nodded. Now the hard part; sending the only help she had at hand away. She wanted to cry.

"It's done. You have to go. Fetch Harry and the Order," she rasped with difficulties.

Then she saw Neville's face light up brightly, the first genuine joy at their victory. Not felt by her but still it would nearly make her happy if her other emotions weren't so jumbled and insecure.

"Wow! It's just... WOW! Hermione! Was it Snape? That's why is he out? Or what-?" he started to shower her with questions, enthusiastic in his mirth.

There was no time for that though. She shook her head at him and he immediately quietened, sensing something was not right.

"You have to go. Now. The Death Eaters are unconscious but they'll wake up soon. You have to arrest them before they come around. Voldemort needs to be killed as soon as possible or they will hide him," she hissed, cringing as another contraction made her curl into herself and moan aloud.

"Hermione? Are you sure you are fine?" She heard Neville ask, his voice worried.

"I will be. Go," she said, not believing her own words.

Fortunately - or not? - Neville did believe them. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"I will return as soon as I can," he promised and she heard him leave the house to Apparate.

 _Now she is truly alone._

 _Damn her to seven hells._

* * *

She had imagined what it would be like to give birth; in pain, possibly, but with Severus - and maybe even a Mediwitch - at her side, holding her hand, helping and calming her down if only by their presence and knowledge that they would be able to intervene if something went wrong.

She didn't really expect being left alone with her suffering, desperate and tortured while worrying about Severus and the baby both, unable to take anything to help her with the pain for her fear of it causing her to make bad decisions and not think clearly while everything depended on her.

She turned her wand on herself again, casting the diagnostics for about the tenth time that minute. Still not ready. She braced for another wave of pain that was bound to come.

 _Oh, holy...!_

 _Merlin, why exactly didn't she let Voldemort kill her and cut the baby out? In that order! That was sure to hurt much MUCH less than this!_

She struggled to breathe and not push yet and it took all her willpower and strength to not yell aloud too loud. Severus needed to rest and the Silencing Charms she had been able to cast covered only that much.

Then she felt - and even heard? Was it even possible? - her water break and finally the diagnostics showed that she was more or less ready to start the labor.

 _Thank God! She couldn't stand this a second longer!_

She rested while she could to collect the last remnants of strength and when the next contraction came she was only too grateful to finally do something other than worry and suffer.

She pushed as her body urged her to.

That was when the true pain started.

She felt stretched and torn from inside, the baby obviously way bigger than she thought it to be. She couldn't stop now though. The baby couldn't get stuck; it was very dangerous, even life threatening.

Forgetting all about her decision to stay silent, she screamed with full lungs as she pushed again, the pain making her vision blur.

A few seconds later, a pair of strong warm hands gripped reassuringly her shoulders and she knew immediately what they were.

 _Severus._

He looked like hell - dark circles under his eyes, pale and shaking - but was watching her with clear and worried eyes.

"You should be resting, Severus. I am sorry to wake you up but now you should go back and-" rasped weakly as soon as she could find her voice.

"Hush, Hermione. I feel better than you do, evidently. I will stay here," he told her.

"Can I stay?" he asked hesitantly a few seconds later when no answer from her was coming and she smiled even through the pain.

Instead of saying anything, she took his hand and gripped it with all she had while another contraction made her scream aloud.

She felt the baby tearing its way out of her, the pain only lessened by Severus' proximity and knowledge that it would all end soon. So she pushed once more, crushed Severus' hand in hers and then...

Cries. Small, baby cries, whimpering and demanding attention.

The pain was gone all of sudden, no contractions, no tearing, no pressure whatsoever. She saw Severus' face shine in happiness in the very same way that hers probably did as he went to take the baby, wrapped his hands around it ever so carefully and lifted it to bring it to her, covering them both in a blanket to keep them warm.

"You are so beautiful," she heard him whisper and knew it was both for her and the baby.

It was a girl.

She felt her eyes brim with tears and she sobbed quietly as she stroked her daughter's cheek for the first time, marveling at her tiny perfect face and dark hair.

* * *

 _So here it finally is - I hope I didn't make anything too far-fetched here._

 _The "resurrection" of Severus will get explained shortly (it happened already to Hermione in chapter 13 if you don't remember that well by now so it's nothing new in this story), no need to worry about being left in the dark :-_ )

 _Any comments are most welcome! Even in your own language if you feel like it - you don't have to worry about not being understood as I will not rest till I decipher every last word you write :-)  
_

 _Thank you for reading, guys!_


	79. Chapter 79

_Probably the shortest chapter I have ever written yet a very eventful and important one._

 _Also a horrible cliffhanger there, I am sorry in advance, guys!_

 _Love you all!_

* * *

CHAPTER 79

Severus was standing by the white cradle, fascinated and not being able to pull his eyes away from the tiny bundle that was resting peacefully in it. She was so small and yet so perfect and beautiful and he couldn't stop marveling at her, constantly, for the previous six days - in other words, ever since she had been born.

Eileen. That was how her mother had insisted they name her and he could only agree, touched by her gesture to name the little girl after her grandmother. Still, he supposed that even if Hermione wanted to call the baby indeed Mantichore, he would agree too - there was absolutely nothing he would deny her at that moment. Ever, in fact.

The little girl twitched her tiny hand and he felt himself being drawn to her even closer, compelled to take and hold her. He did exactly that, cherishing the girl as he held her gently in his arms, rocking her lightly.

In a few seconds, he heard the door being opened.

Hermione.

He offered to watch the baby so that her mother could rest and sleep for a bit but obviously they didn't negotiate that point with Eileen very well.

"Did she pull you to her too? Again?" he asked her apologetically as he watched her stiffing a yawn.

She nodded, a weary smile already on her face as she got nearer to stroke the baby's cheek.

"Yeah. It really feels like Accio on times... She is going to be really strong one day," she whispered as to not rouse Eileen even further.

"I can only agree with that. It took her only a few seconds to subjugate us both into total obedience," he remarked quietly, joking.

 _Well, maybe not really joking._

"What else could she be with the best Potion Master in this country cooking every single meal for her ever since she was conceived?" she asked rhetorically and he knew she was teasing him too.

He chuckled, something he did alarmingly often as of late.

But it was the sixth day though. He had to tell her, there was no delaying it any further. He hated himself for that.

The smile vanished from his face with no trace and he felt her eyes on him, watching him with worry at the sudden change in him even as she was still looking so open and happy, half-expecting him to only pull a trick on her now, some theatrical jape.

 _Merlin..._

He inhaled deeply and looked away lest he wouldn't be able to say what he had to.

"There is no way to break the Bond," he said quietly but seriously.

She froze and he was glad it was him holding the baby for she looked ready to faint.

"W-what? Severus what are you-?" she began asking, pale and startled, and he could see she had all but forgotten about the Vow she had made him swear nearly a year ago.

He nodded, hating himself for hurting her so even more when faced with her fear and shock.

"I swore to break it. It can't be done, I researched it well enough. You can check the books too if you feel like it but it's permanent, cancelled only by the death of one of us. I have only a few days more to live. The bound women who were rescued from the Fortress will have been dead by tomorrow evening," he summed up in simple terms what had been bothering him for the last few weeks.

"But there must be a way around it! I can take it back! I can-" she stammered again, tears at the edge of her beautiful brown eyes.

He shook his head.

"No, you can't as you are well aware of. It can't be broken nor taken back. I researched everything; chopping my hand off to get rid of the source of the curse would not work. getting myself rid of my magic wouldn't work either as it would still remain in place in you. Even ridding us _both_ of our magic would not work as even my dying for a few seconds didn't do the trick," he informed her and saw the tears finally fall on her cheeks, rolling down her face. He pressed his lips together to brace himself.

Eileen stirred at that moment and it helped him overcome the emotions by diverging his attention to her. He stood up to pace with her in his arms as she liked.

"So... So we did all of this, destroyed the Horcruxes, defeated Voldemort, survived just about everything to... lose each other in the end? So that you would die because of _me_ and the Vow I made you..." she whispered, her voice broken and he felt his heart burn at her words and tone.

He placed the sleeping baby back into her cradle and went to Hermione, stroking her cheek gently with his hand to lessen some of the pain he saw in her eyes.

 _Fuck. All of this was his fault..._

"Not _we,_ it was _you_ who defeated him, _you_ who told me where to look and what to do with the Horcruxes. _You_ who fixed me after every one of my mishaps," he hugged her as she still eyed him, doubtful and desperate. "I always thought you would be the one to save the world. I just never supposed you would be saving me too," he whispered the truth into her hair soothingly and felt her start sobbing.

 _Damn him._

"Besides, I don't intend to die because of the Vow. I have different plans for the end of my journey if you would agree," he told her in his last attempt to console her.

One teary eye looked up to him through the few curls of her hair that got pushed into her face and over her forehead.

* * *

 _I really am sorry!_

 _The next chapter is nearly done and I will do my best to publish it within a week. This one will get dedicated to whomever gets the closest to what is about to happen! Let's see how well you can see into my head, guys!  
_

 _I would love to hear what you think, as always!_


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